Mercedes-Benz has come with an innovation to trump all. With no windows, no driver, nothing to distract you from working, relaxing, playing at your favorite online casino, or whatever you feel like doing. That’s right…”no driver” and “no windows.” These are the features of the latest Mercedes-Benz self-driving luxury car concept presented at the CES 2015 in Las Vegas.
The Mercedes-Benz F 015 Luxury in Motion is a completely innovative approach to the future of mobility. First of all, it’s a fully electric luxury concept, which means that aside from being both powerful and silent, it’s the environmentally friendly way to get around town – and beyond. But electric cars are not new, and neither are self-driving vehicles. Tesla has showcased its “hands-free” driving service this year, and completely autonomous cars are being developed by a series of tech giants, like Google and (possibly) apple. What makes this Mercedes-Benz concept special?
Well, aside from the sheer volume of technological innovation crammed underneath its hood, the Mercedes-Benz F 015 Luxury in Motion will represent a completely new approach to day-to-day mobility. Or, as Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars put it, “Anyone who focuses solely on the technology has not yet grasped how autonomous driving will change our society. The car is growing beyond its role as a mere means of transport and will ultimately become a mobile living space.” The F 015 concept goes above and beyond its primary function, perceiving the car as a private retreat that offers an important added value to society as a whole.
Not that the technology inside the F 015 wouldn’t be noteworthy. The car will be without windows as we know them – there will be a certain level of translucency at window level to help people create a “window effect”. The sense of motion will be created by a technology called the Pixel Stream, which will project images of the outside world into the car. The F 015 will be powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, and will be equipped with every security technology available to make it not just a relaxing, but also a safe retreat from the outside world. And when it comes to luxury, the F 015 will surely earn its “Luxury in Motion” title. The car will have spacious interiors and some of the most beautiful finishes – like open grain walnut, glass and ice white nappa leather.
When will this new way of getting around hit the market? Well, there is no way to know an exact date just yet – but Mercedes-Benz sees similar vehicles to be roaming the streets before the end of the decade.
