The fully electric E-Tron interior of Audi introduces the first digital side mirrors

Not so long ago, Audi introduced its virtual cockpit screen, bringing a fully digital dashboard to production vehicles . The trend of digitizing driver indicators can now be seen through most car manufacturers – at all price levels. Some brands have improved the original design of Audi, but most are still catching up.

Audi hopes to have the same impact with its next series of interior innovations. The German automaker has recently revealed the cabin of its all-electric e-tron SUV, which shows small and big jumps for embedded technology. The most important gadget is a pair of screens built into the two front door panels. What we are looking at is the first production side digital mirror application.

"Mirrors" may not even be the right word Indeed, unlike the reflective glass on which we rely to change lanes , return to a parking space or monitor pedestrians passing by, the projected image on each door monitor can be changed. The view can be switched between cornering, parking and highway settings, and the configuration also zooms in and out.

Here's how it works: A pair of external mounted cameras (occupying the same real-estate mirrors) transmit the video to the 7.0-inch OLED screens mounted on the front edge of each door panel. Drivers can then reference these videos in real time as they would for traditional side mirrors.

There is no doubt that the position, the resolution and the parameters of these monitors are accustomed to it, but it is reasonable to assume that They will replace mirrors on most new vehicles in the near future. In addition, as camera integration methods improve, it may not be necessary to have protruding vanes on the cars. Seeing a vehicle without mirrors will be strange, but it can give designers and engineers a brand new canvas.

There is only bad news: US regulations currently do not allow Audi's digital rearview mirror technology, so only the Euro-model E-Trons will get the goods. Hopefully America is coming up soon.

The interior of the e-tron also shows a new approach to the gear selector. An L-shaped floating hand rest extends from the passenger side of the center console, with a thumb slider to choose the drive, the reverse, or the neutral. Although Audi calls the e-tron a prototype, this cabin is exactly what we expect to see in the production model (expected to arrive next year).