Mercedes-Benz on Monday unveiled the Vision EQXX research car, a soup-to-nuts reimagination of a luxury electric vehicle with efficiency at the forefront. Thanks to a wide variety of technologies, many of which are destined for series production vehicles in the not too distant future, this rolling R&D laboratory is capable of driving more than 1,000 kilometers (621.3 miles) on a single charge.
While the Vision EQXX's exterior is all about efficiency through aerodynamic engineering, its interior is all about efficiency through materials science.
There are so many materials in here that rely on nature or are otherwise environmentally friendly. The door pulls are made from a vegan silk-like fabric. Some seat-cushion pieces are wrapped in something called Mylo, which is a vegan leather alternative made from mycelium fungi. A different leather alternative is created from cactus fibers. The carpets are made from pure bamboo fiber, which both feels fancy and grows quickly in nature. Floor and door trim pieces rely on recycled PET bottles, while the microfiber material above the beltline relies on the same material. Finally, the interior also uses something called UBQ material, which is made from landfill waste.
While the materials and style are certainly impressive, we have to talk about the screen. hyper-Hyperscreen.
Whereas the dashboard of the production EQS can be outfitted with several screens under bonded glass to create the impression of a dashboard-sized display, the Vision EQXX takes that technology to its inevitable conclusion. Spanning 47.5 inches from A-pillar to A-pillar, with 8K resolution, the hyper-Hyperscreen is truly a seamless display that fills the front half of the car. Mercedes worked with NAVIS Automotive Systems to create a navigation system that offers real-time 3D navigation, while the next generation of the automaker's "Hey, Mercedes" digital assistant has been tweaked to sound even more natural.
The Vision EQXX even applies the idea of boosting efficiency to the audio system. Many high-end setups simply throw more speakers into the car, which can eat up electrons unnecessarily. To remedy this, engineers reduced the number of speakers and placed them closer to each occupant's seat.
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