Mercedes has made a self-driving electric van and it's baffling
Called the Vision URBANETIC, it is aggressively futuristic.
The future can be a scary place, and there are many different ways to approach it. Some edge towards it cautiously, introducing a hybrid version of an existing model with great trepidation. Some stick a stubby middle finger up at the future and dedicate their lives to churning out screaming V8s. Some spend thousands of man hours poring over the complexities of the motoring industry, desperately trying to produce an accurate prediction of what our roads will look like in years to come.
Alternatively, you could go the Mercedes-Benz way. Unlike any of the other approaches, the Mercedes method consists of producing concepts which plunge headfirst into any and all futuristic possibilities, no matter how outrageous they may appear. Who cares about potentially looking a little odd at first? Innovation is so easily stymied by fear of public opinion.
With the unveiling of their all-electric autonomous van concept, the Vision Urbanetic, Mercedes has staked its flag very firmly and very publicly in the future. They are here and they're here to stay. The Urbanetic challenges everything you thought you knew about cars, and then some. In a few decades' time, this is a vehicle that will be looked back on either as an embarrassing segue in Mercedes' history or a remarkable pioneering step forward in automotive progression.
It is surprisingly hard to accurately describe the Urbanetic. It looks rather like a van - it has a total volume of 353 cubic feet and two different levels for storage inside it - although it doesn't resemble any other van. At the same time, though, it is also a people-carrier (minivan, if you like sugar on your burger) with a spacious interior incorporating seating for up to 12 people.
The Urbanetic is a sign that the automotive industry is becoming more and more akin to the technology sector. In much the same way as most smartphones and computers, this vehicle has a base known as a 'skateboard' comprising its chassis and powertrain upon which multiple totally different vehicles can sit comfortably.
Consciousness of surroundings is also utmost in the minds of the Mercedes boffins at present; when they're not inventing a headlight that can chat to pedestrians on the street as you drive along, they are fitting the Urbanetic with large-format displays on the front and sides in order to communicate directly with other road users. Suddenly, the common indicator seems old-fashioned and redundant.
The very large elephant in this particular room is, of course, the daring aesthetics the Urbanetic brings to the table. The simple truth is that while it might seem rather radical now, these kinds of designs will ultimately become commonplace as the output of the motoring sector is forced to change to meet the needs of increasingly dense and rapidly evolving cities.
Unlike the recently launched EQC which is very much a real and imminent car, the Vision Urbanetic is just a concept at this stage and a long way off the showrooms. What it is, though, is a quite astonishing peephole into the future of daily drivers.
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Comments (74)
“MERCEDES HAS MADE A SELF-DRIVING ELECTRIC VAN AND IT'S BAFFLING”
No it’s not, it’s just plain ugly.
Don't you think the whole 'skateboard' technology thing is innovative and brilliant?
Love it, or hate it, this is the future. You can't avoid it.
No. No interest in "self drive" cars at all
So cynical! Wait and see. Have an open mind and you might be surprised!
You don't need to bash him for his opinion, nor are you doing any good, you are just pushing an agenda. You are not a prophet or something. Stop promoting propaganda and using the term F U T U R E as an argument
Self driving? already hate it......
So cynical!
No, i'm just scared that non self driving cars will be outlawed before I have the chance to experience it.
Say Clarkson does a Buck Rogers and ends up 500 years in the future."
"Ooooh what are the cars like? I cant wait to take some for a test drive"
"Test drive? For what purpose? I can assure you of their efficiency in delivering you safely to the set destination. You don't drive vehicles"
"You don't drive veh......... I need a drink"
"What liquid dietary sustinance do you require?
"To get veeerrry drunk"
"Ingesting products non beneficial to health was outlawed many years ago"
".......Is this a tall building?"
"Yes why?"
"Oh no reason, I'm just going to go up to the roof for a bit."
I'd love to see Clarkson's face
It would be more pitiful than when he tried to pitch the p45 to the dragons.
I don't get it. This is drive tribe - you can't drive this?
It's a major project from a major automotive force about the future of motoring!
But you still can't drive it. It's like an article about the next new lift on a ladder site.