BEIJING: These days, people are giving preference to more environment-friendly vehicles, so the automobile makers are finding ways to cut emissions through launching bizarre cars models.
Now Mercedes-Benz has unveiled what it claims to be the ultimate in ‘green driving’- a concept car that doubles up as a huge solar panel to generate energy.
Using something known as ‘multi-voltaic’ silver paint, the German manufacturer’s Vision G-Code is designed to capture energy from solar rays to power a hybrid engine. It can even generate power using electrostatic charge from the bodywork slicing through wind, as well as kinetic energy from the suspension.
The SUV concept car – or SUC (Sports Utility Coupé) as Mercedes-Benz calls it – was unveiled this week at the company’s new research base in Beijing. As part of its set up, the back wheels are powered by an electric motor while the front wheels are driven by a hydrogen combustion engine.
Mercedes-Benz envisages operating the motor and engine either individually or together, depending on road conditions. The four-door vehicle is roughly the same size as a Nissan Juke, at 13.5ft (4.1 metres) long. Mercedes has yet to offer other specifics on speed and power.
Instead of B-pillars, the vehicle’s doors are hinged front and back allowing easier access to the rear-seat. The car also features a light display at the front of the car – a reference to Starship Enterprise’s glowing warp drive.
The light glows blue when the car is parked, purple during normal hybrid driving and red in sport mode. Just as striking is the continuous glass panel which stretches from the driver’s side window around the windshield to the passenger side.
The interior also features anti-dirt fabrics and 3D body scanners that keep an eye on biometrics of each passenger, automatically switching on the massage-mode if the car decides passengers are getting tired.
Researcher LMC Automotive projects Mercedes-Benz to sell 291,000 vehicles in China this year, compared with 581,000 for luxury market-leader Audi and 448,000 for second-placed BMW.
Meanwhile, oxygen produced by the hydrogen drivetrain is pumped into the cabin to improve air quality. It even features electric scooters hidden under the trunk floor to complete journeys without having to go on foot.
While this is a concept car, the hope is that a number of the ideas featured in the design could someday make their way onto Mercedes-Benz’ models in the future.
