We're
all used to seeing "concept cars" -- those bits of automotive frippery
that manufacturers trot out at motor shows every few months. Generally,
they're either design tinsel that will never see the light of day, or
previews of cars that will soon appear in showrooms.
And then there's the Mercedes-Benz F 015 Luxury in Motion.
Catchy
name aside, this odd-looking creation has had such a varied life that
its maker refuses to call it a "concept." It's a research project
instead, hence the name (the 'F' is a German prefix denoting 'research
vehicle' status).
Designed for living
The Mercedes-Benz F 015 Luxury in Motion: Forerunner of a mobility revolution
The
F 015 made its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas more
than two years ago. It's packed with advanced (or what was considered
advanced in 2015) autonomous technology, and can, in theory, run for
almost 900 kilometers on a mixture of pure electric power and a hydrogen
fuel cell.
But while countless
other vehicles are still trying to prove that cars can, literally, drive
themselves, Merc's offering takes this for granted. Instead, this
vehicle wants us to consider what we'll actually do while the car is
driving us around.
The steering
wheel slides into the dashboard to create more of a "lounge" space. The
seating configuration allows four people to face each other if they want
to talk. And when the onboard conversation dries up, a bewildering
collection of screens -- one on the rear wall, and one on each of the
doors -- offers plenty of opportunity to interact with various media.
The
F 015 could have done all of this as a flash-in-the-pan show car --
seen at a couple of major events before vanishing without trace. But in
fact it has been touring almost constantly since that Vegas debut.
On the day that I managed to get up
close with the car at a Mercedes facility in the UK, engineer Thomas
Jaeger admitted that the F 015 had probably racked up tens of thousands
of air miles.
Not bad for a car
that is estimated to have been driven less than 500 kilometers under its
own steam (or battery, at least) during the same period. More than a
quarter of a million people have now managed to get up close and
interact with the F 015 during its lifetime.
"We
have learned so much from this project," Jaeger said. "The most
important thing is that people aren't afraid of autonomous vehicles.
They see them as an opportunity -- and they are already interested to
know what else they'll be able to do when they don't have to look at the
road."
The key, Jaeger said, is
communication. "Of course, people are keen to experience movies or games
while they're on the move," he said.
"But
they also want to be productive, whether it's using this time to sort
out things with their lives, or to catch up with friends -- either in
the car or on social networking. Their feedback says that they're ready
and excited by the extra time that autonomous cars can give them."
A work in progress
Climbing
aboard the F 015, you see how it could work. The powered doors slowly
open to reveal a huge aperture through which you enter the car, albeit
with a significant duck of the head.
The
futuristic seats aren't particularly comfortable, but with a decent set
of padded Mercedes armchairs, this environment would be a pretty
pleasant.
Mercedes-Benz F 015 Luxury in Motion in San Francisco 2015
On
the move, the F 015 creaks and shudders, as all one-off vehicles do.
And it feels heavy. But that's because it is -- carbon fiber body panels
notwithstanding, the amount of bespoke engineering and technology on
board makes the car heavier than many large SUVs.
When
the vehicle is at rest, the only noise it produces is the constant
whoosh of computer fans under the hood. There are a total of 14
processing devices on board, but only four are involved in making the
car autonomous. The rest -- 10 MacBook Pros, as it turns out -- are
dedicated to operating the user interface and throwing graphics around
on the screens.
Parts
of this car have dated in the two-and-a-half years since its debut. The
32in touchscreens in the doors, for example, are relatively
poor-contrast LCD displays, not hi-tech, ultra-crisp OLED. And the
rear-projection instrument panel that wraps around the dashboard isn't
particularly clear, especially in sunlight.
"When we made the car, the idea of a
single curved display was just impossible," Jaeger said. "Nowadays we
know we could go to one or two suppliers and have it made."
Nonetheless,
Jaeger said that the engineering team hasn't tinkered with the vehicle,
preferring to compile a (lengthy) list of ideas of what to do next. He
also admitted that work has just started on the next "research project."
Whatever
form it takes, it will be pushed forward by the technical know-how of
gifted engineers and designers. But now, thanks to the F 015, feedback
from the general public will play its part too.
