Mercedes-Benz
just debuted its latest concept vehicle – the Mercedes-Benz
Ener-G-Force – at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show. At first glance the
Mercedes-Benz Ener-G-Force looks like an oversized SUV, which brings up
memories of the now extinct Hummer vehicles – but what lies under the
hood is a green fuel cell power train that only emits water. According
to Mercedes-Benz, the concept is a design study that demonstrates how
the genes of the classic G-Class from 1979 may still assert themselves
far into the future
“The
Ener-G-Force is the vision of an off-roader that, while reflecting
tomorrow’s adventures, also invokes the genes of the Mercedes-Benz
off-road icon, the G-Class. Modern and cool, it could also be a clue
about a new beginning for the off-road design idiom of Mercedes-Benz,”
stated Gorden Wagener, Director of Design at Mercedes-Benz Cars.
The
Mercedes-Benz Ener-G-Force Concept was created for the Los Angeles
Design Challenge 2012, which called upon designers to envision the
perfect Highway Patrol Vehicle for 2025. The notion of designing
tomorrow’s off-roader intrigued the designers at the Mercedes-Benz
Advanced Design Studio in Carlsbad, California to such an extent that
they evolved the police version into a civilian version and even built a
1:1-scale model.
The
Ener G-Force Concept draws many styling cues from the iconic G-Class,
but under the hood is a futuristic power train. The Ener-G-Force stores
recycled water in tanks on the roof, and transfers it to the “hydro-tech
converter,” where natural and renewable resources are converted into
hydrogen for operating the fuel cells. The Ener-G-Force emits nothing
but water and has an operating range of about 500 miles. Four wheel-hub
motors provide the pulling power, and side skirts house energy storage
units or hot-swappable battery packs. Changes in the color of the
illumination of the side skirts indicate the operating and charge status
of the energy packs.
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