It’s Mercedes’ most ambitious autonomous concept yet, and has its own self-learning IT system for road conditions.
In the automotive world, tastes and consumer trends change. So do engine technologies and infotainment features. There are a couple of constants, though. People always need to go somewhere they’re not already and cargo always needs to be moved from one place to another. With its new Vision Urbanetic concept, Mercedes-Benz has created a vehicle that can do both quietly and autonomously.
At the base of Vision Urbanetic is a chassis that runs autonomously on battery-electric power. Buyers can top that with one of two purpose-built bodies which can be removed or installed in a couple of minutes. There’s a passenger-friendly shell for ridesharing services that can fit up to 12 passengers. As the video above shows, the Vision Urbanetic can sense where its smartphone-using passengers are and pull right up to them. According to Road Show, “The front and sides of the body have big screens that let pedestrians know when the vehicle ‘sees’ them, giving those pedestrians some extra piece of mind as they step into a crosswalk.”
For transporting goods, there’s a cargo-focused top that can be divided into two levels and carry up to EPAL (European Palette Association) palettes on its 12-foot-long load floor (the majority of the Vision Urbanetic’s total length of 17 feet). Total cargo volume is 353 cubic feet.
A self-learning IT system enables Vision Urbanetic to continually change the route it takes based on real-time traffic information. The system is compatible with fleet management, planning flexible and efficient routes in accordance with the fleet’s transportation needs.
Some things, such as the need to move people and things, never change, but it’s clear that Mercedes is already thinking about vehicles that can do just that based on where, and how, they’re needed.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
