Mercedes-Benz has revealed Vision AVTR, a new bionic, self-driving, electric concept car that it describes as an ‘extension of your own body’. And there is no steering wheel. Samuel Ballard reports
The AVTR, which stands for Advanced Vehicle Transformation, takes its design cues from the film Avatar, and was revealed by the company’s executives at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
Mercedes’ new Vision AVTR concept puts a number of cutting-edge technologies to the test, including 33 “bionic flaps” on the back of the car, which resemble scales on the creatures of Pandora in James Cameron’s blockbuster movie. These flaps feed information back to the driver about the surrounding environment.
Arguably the most Avatar-like aspect of the car, however, is how the driver and car “merge”. There is no traditional steering wheel or gear stick – instead a control unit, described as a “multifunctional (polyvalent) interface”, allows the person in either the passenger or driver’s seat to control the car.
Kind to the environment, the Vision AVTR is an emission-free electric vehicle, with a combined engine power of more than 350 kW, setting “a new benchmark for EQ Power”, and a range of more than 700km. The battery can be fully charged in just 15 minutes.
During his keynote address at CES in Las Vegas, Ola Källenius, chairman of the board of management at Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG, said: “Where do we take it from here? I guess that’s the core question of every CES.
“And this inner unrest for what’s next is also at the core of our purpose at Mercedes-Benz. Today we would like to show what that means. As a film buff, I spent some time catching up with old and new movies. One of the classics, Back to the Future, predicted we would be traveling in flying cars by now.
“One idea we want to show is based on a biometric connection between the car and the driver. The car recognises the human driver’s heartbeat and breath so human and machine literally merge into a fully intuitive experience.”
Mercedes is not the only company to release a concept car. Last year, Globetrender highlighted six futuristic modes of transport for cities and off-roading. It included the Hyundai Elevate Walking Car – an all-terrain vehicle that looks more like something out of Star Wars.
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