Mercedes-Benz reveals new Vision Iconic EV – and it’s the vintage Batmobile you always needed in your life
- Mercedes has just unveiled the Vision Iconic EV in Shanghai
- The concept includes Solar Paint and neuromorphic computing power
- High levels of autonomous driving are expected
Mercedes-Benz has been making efforts in terms of design in recent times and is keen to display the idea that it is shaking up its style for an increasingly electric future.
The latest Vision Iconic EV is perhaps the boldest statement yet and could continue to inspire future S-Class models, but it also wants to showcase the brand’s latest technology.
Long, low and with a very large grille, the luxury coupe draws inspiration from classic Benzes of the past, including the W 108, W 111 and 600 Pullman, while featuring a similar face to the recently launched GLC.
However, that massive illuminated grille doesn’t seem all that out of place on the German brand’s long two-door coupe. Additionally, the deep black paint job experiments with an active photovoltaic surface that could add autonomy by harnessing energy from the sun.
Inside the car, Mercedes’ Shanghai-based design team took inspiration from the Art Deco era, with a mix of analog and digital displays.
The instrument clusters come to life like high-end chronograph watches when the door is opened, while one of the four clocks houses an AI assistant that will take care of the car’s operation without the driver having to lift a finger.
Mercedes says this radical design, which has more than a touch of the Batmobile, will also accommodate the company’s latest innovations in neuromorphic computing power, which apparently mimics the functions of the human brain for much faster decision-making.
Tesla uses something similar to drive its autonomous models, with Mercedes suggesting its technology could be ten times more efficient than current systems.
This would allow the company to hypothetically introduce Level 4 autonomous driving, which would allow people behind the wheel to take their hands off and take their eyes off the road when traveling on the highway, for example.
“It would also be possible and permitted to take a nap or get comfortable while streaming the latest trending video, including an immersive ambient sound and light experience,” says Mercedes.
Hands-free parking as standard
Although the Vision Iconic Concept is only a design study at the moment, it showcases a number of technologies that Mercedes-Benz is working on.
Solid-state battery technology could deliver monster range, while an electric steering system, for example, is expected to appear on the next S-Class and would remove any physical connection between the steering column and the wheels.
Combined with rear axle steering, this makes it easier to maneuver large cars in cramped urban environments.
But hey, you won’t have to worry about that, as the concept also suggests that the German brand is moving forward with greater levels of autonomous driving, claiming that a highly automated parking function that uses the car’s sophisticated sensor architecture will see the vehicle find its own path to a free spot.
That’s probably for the best, given the size of the thing.
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