Mercedes Unveils 18.5-Foot Autonomous Electric Concept Car

(Image courtesy of Mercedes-Benz.)

The Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 is the latest concept car from Mercedes-Benz. Notably, the company emphasizes the car’s option to switch to “digital/autonomous mode” as “the ultimate in luxury,” hinting that the first truly self-driving cars will come from the high-end market.

Measuring over 18.5-feet (nearly six meters) in length, it is designed as an electric car. The drive system has an output of 738 SAE HP (550 kW or 750 European HP) and accelerates the car from 0-62 mph in less than four seconds. The shallow underfloor battery allows a range of over 200 miles according to the EPA (over 500 kilometers according to the NEDC.)

Exterior features include gullwing doors, a hallmark Mercedes design element featuring aluminum trim. The exterior mirrors designed as cameras are supported on the fenders. The rear of the car incorporates a diffuser with aluminum frame and the air outlets behind the wheel arches.

(Image courtesy of Mercedes-Benz.)

Inside, a number of display elements are incorporated into a continuous glass trim part. Information about the seat, for example, can be shown on this digital strip. Map information is also shown in the front area of the strip. Menu content is extended along a digital line which extends to the sides as far as the occupants, who can set their own content ergonomically using touch control.

The front windscreen serves as a transparent display: driving-related data and geographical information are shown across its full width. This information can be controlled and adjusted by the occupants using gestures.

The traditional buttons for adjusting the interior environment have been replaced in the upholstered surfaces by miniature "body sensor displays" which scan the passengers and monitor, for example, their vital functions.

9Image courtesy of Mercedes-Benz.)

As a result, comfort features such as seat climate or the massage function, for example, can be activated or the seat settings adjusted to the passenger. The sensors embedded in the upholstery also record the incidence of light, the color of the occupant's clothing and the ambient temperature. This information can be used to trigger new, emotional lighting effects in the interior.

For more high-end electric concepts, read about Faraday Future’s FFZERO1, a 200MPH electric race car that premiered at CES 2016.