Audi Files a Patent Aimed at Giving the Electric Car a Sense of Theater

A newly reported Audi patent describes electric cars that would give off visible flashes and carry a scent, sensations the battery car has largely left behind. For owners whose garages in Naples or Aspen hold both a carbureted classic and a silent new EV, the idea goes straight to what drivers say they miss: a car you can feel with more than your hands on the wheel. The filing only sets out concepts, and nothing in it promises a production model. Still, it shows a major German maker taking seriously the idea that an electric car should engage the senses as well as cover the miles.

With reporting from Car and Driver.