Mercedes Vision EQXX

Mercedes-Benz has declassified the Vision ESX concept, which acts as a demonstrator of Daimler's achievements in aerodynamics, battery technology and composite materials. On a single charge, an electric sedan is able to travel about a thousand kilometers, but at the same time its battery is 30 percent lighter than that of the EQS, although it has approximately the same capacity. Another prototype is charged from the sun, and its onboard electronics are controlled by pulsed neural networks.

The first thing that catches your eye: Vision EQXX is unlike any of the serial Mercedes. The streamlined body with a Camma tail is an obvious reference to the Concept IAA of 2015, although the aerodynamic elaboration here has reached a fundamentally different level. The manufacturer has declared a record air resistance coefficient of 0.17. It is achieved thanks to the small area of the frontal projection (less than that of the CLA or Smart), the drop-shaped shape of the cab, the rear track narrowed by 50 millimeters, as well as passive and active aerodynamics.

The first thing that catches your eye: Vision EQXX is unlike any of the serial Mercedes. The streamlined body with a Camma tail is an obvious reference to the Concept IAA of 2015, although the aerodynamic elaboration here has reached a fundamentally different level. The manufacturer has declared a record air resistance coefficient of 0.17. It is achieved thanks to the small area of the frontal projection (less than that of the CLA or Smart), the drop-shaped shape of the cab, the rear track narrowed by 50 millimeters, as well as passive and active aerodynamics.

The front bumper of the sedan has Air Curtains and air ducts that eliminate turbulence in the wheel arches and direct air flows through slots in the hood to reduce interference resistance around the mirrors. The 20-inch forged magnesium wheels are fitted with translucent aerodynamic hoods, behind which a pattern resembling the copper winding of the stator of an electric motor is visible. Bridgestone Turanza Eco tires have ultra-low rolling resistance. A retractable diffuser is installed at the back. It is very light and automatically retracts under the body when there is a threat of impact.

Vision EQXX is based on the new Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA) for compact and medium-sized electric vehicles. The lightweight aluminum BIONEQXX subframe in the back is cast using topological optimization algorithms, that is, with voids in unloaded places. The patches for the holes in the casting are printed on a 3D printer made of UBQ Materials plastic obtained by recycling waste. The domes of the front shock absorbers are made using the same technology (suspension components are attached to them) and even chassis elements of a fully serial EQS.

The body of the concept for the first time in the history of Mercedes-Benz is made of MS1500 martensitic steel, one of the strongest and lightest cold-rolled alloys in the world. Such steel belongs to the group of multiphase and is characterized by a low content of bainite and ferrite. MS family stainless steel is designed specifically for the automotive industry, where high tensile strength is required, and is used for bumper amplifiers, crossbars and battery frames. Flat rolled products for the Vision EQXX body are obtained from scrap using an electric arc furnace — in this process, 70 percent less co₂ is released. The doors of the concept are molded from a hybrid composite consisting of CFRP/GFRP plastics and aluminum.

The prototype power plant with silicon carbide semiconductors was developed in collaboration with Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains. Its power is low (the electric motor on the rear axle develops 150 kW, or 204 hp), but the efficiency is about 95 percent. A power reserve of 1000 kilometers is provided by a 900-volt battery for 100 kilowatt-hours with a passive thermoregulation system. The heat is dissipated through the cooling plate, and if this is not enough, the flaps in the bumper are opened for air flow or an auxiliary fan is started (works only during parking). With a capacity close to EQS, the battery in Vision EQXX is 50 percent smaller and about 30 lighter.

117 solar cells are built into the roof of the concept, developed in cooperation with the German Institute of Solar Energy Systems named after Fraunhofer. On a clear day, they will give an additional 25 kilometers of travel, as they will charge a compact lithium-iron-phosphate battery, to which auxiliary consumers are connected — from lighting to a climate control unit and a media system. The latter is a large-format curved 8K display in the full width of the front panel (length — 1.21 meters) with a resolution of 7680x660 pixels. Its mini-LED backlight consists of three thousand local "blackout zones", that is, it consumes energy as needed and only in certain parts.

The task of the Vision EQXX passengers was assigned to a virtual assistant trained in the basics of nonverbal communication and presented in the form of a shape-shifting "star cloud". In addition, Sonantic helped improve the voice assistant: using machine learning algorithms, it was made to sound more natural and even emotional. All these innovations work closely with the 4D audio system. It cannot boast of the number of speakers — a pair of broadband emitters in the headrests combined with a vibrating speaker — but the entire cabin is divided into several sound zones, and the driver receives personal recommendations in the form of intuitive "signals" inspired by the tips used in Formula E.