"There's a reason why road trips have been a cultural touchstone for at least 70 years, telling stories from the highway in books, movies and music. The road trip defines freedom, individuality, the very spirit of the automobile and the passing world. Stick a pin in the map - and drive." That's the spirit Mercedes wishes to encapsulate in its Vision EQXX concept, which it also says defines "Mercedes-Benz transformation into an all-electric and software-driven company."
The Vision EQXX is classed as a software-defined engineering prototype, but it's brought together many departments of the Daimler AG empire, including its British-based Formula One team. It has gone from an idea to a rolling concept in 18 months as part of a programme to adapt innovative technologies for series production faster than ever before. It also aims to create one of the world's most efficient cars and push energy efficiency to new heights. The drivetrain and battery are built in-house and said to deliver an efficiency of 95 per cent from battery to wheels. The system runs at a maximum of 900 volts, the energy consumption is more than six miles per kWh and the Vision EQXX has a 620-mile range.
That's from a 100kWh battery that matches the useable size of the battery in the EQ S. Yet it's half the size and around two-thirds its weight - 495kg. Part of its relatively high output per volume stems from the use of 'active cell balancing' that draws the energy from the cells evenly to make it more efficient. A new multi-source heat pump recovers waste heat from the drivetrain and has an external heat exchanger that draws heat from the ambient air to increase the operating temperature range. It is also used to heat up the cabin more quickly and is said to be highly effective at lower temperatures, too. Adding to the overall efficiency are ultra-thin roof panels containing 117 solar cells that power the ancillaries and add another 15-miles of range.
Aerodynamics - both passive and active - play a huge role in the Vision EQXX's efficiency. The team designing it used advanced digital modelling techniques to deliver its drag coefficient of just 0.17. In hot weather or when the car's driven hard, shutters open at the front to send extra cooling air along a system of air guides. These shutters close when not required to minimise drag. At the rear there's a retractable rear diffuser that deploys only when needed at higher speeds. It weighs "next to nothing" and fits seamlessly into the bodywork when not in use. It also retracts quickly in event of a rear-end collision.
Mercedes engineers worked with Bridgestone to develop a Turanza Eco tyre with Enliten and ologic technology - the former focuses on low weight and environmentally friendly materials, the latter on low-rolling resistance. Each tyre has aerodynamically optimised sidewalls to match the covers mounted on the 20-inch, lightweight, forged-magnesium wheels, inside which are lightweight aluminium alloy brake discs. The attention to lightness is also seen in the road springs, which are made from glass-fibre-reinforced plastic.
Many of the developments from the Vision EQXX are already being integrated into production, including the next generation of the Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MAA) for its compact and medium-sized cars. The Vision EQXX is a dedicated electric-only platform and employs the largest single aluminium structural casting from Mercedes-Benz to create its rear floor. A patented aluminium casting processes (called BIONICAST) developed for the Vision EQXX concept has been used in other Mercedes products, including the EQ S, to reduce weight and increase stiffness of the chassis' components.
Another first for Mercedes is the use of MS1500 ultra-high strength martensitic steel in the body-in-white. This provides exceptional strength in the event of a crash, while keeping weight to a minimum. The doors are made from a combination of CFRP and GFRP (carbon- and glass-fibre reinforced plastics) and reinforced with aluminium for added structural integrity. That's bolstered further with a new polyamide foam added in the lower edge of the doors to improve the energy absorption in a side impact.
On the electronics side, Mercedes has worked with many innovative companies, including California-based artificial intelligence experts BrainChip to develop neuromorphic hardware and software for the Vision EQXX. Neuromorphic computing is still in its infancy, but these AI systems should be available on production models in just a few years. These offer faster processing and better energy efficiency - the information in a neuromorphic neural network is coded in discrete spikes and they only consume energy when a spike occurs.
The user experience inside the VISION EQXX is designed to work in tune with the human mind. This includes a 47.5-inch display with an 8K resolution that runs between both A-pillars. This is the medium that connects the driver and occupants with the world outside, enhanced by an avatar as a guide that takes care of the occupants' needs. With the aid of machine learning it can manage 'expressive' and 'emotional' conversations for a more intuitive experience. It can act as your tour guide, help you manage your music library and offer suggestions on what to do in the locale.
And of course, no futuristic prototype would be complete without talking about sustainable materials. Nothing is derived from animal products, naturally. The door pulls, for instance, are made from a vegan silk-like fabric. There's an animal-free leather substitute made from pulverised cactus fibres, or a verified-vegan alternative made from the roots of mushrooms. The carpets are constructed of 100 per cent bamboo fibre and elsewhere you'll find recycled waste materials, such as the door trims and headliner that are made from recycled plastic bottles.
Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer for Mercedes-Benz AG said: "Working with these innovative, sustainable materials to design the interior of the VISION EQXX was a hugely liberating and exhilarating experience, the upscale feel of the interior through the use of ambient lighting as well as silver, rose-gold and gloss black accents is a highly progressive interpretation of modern luxury for the all-electric era." As is the whole concept, which if proven, especially the battery design, will have a big impact on the future viability electric cars.
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