The Future of Cars Transformed by Autonomous Driving

A concept car befitting the start of 2015 has arrived from Mercedes-Benz: the "F015 Luxury in Motion." This plug-in hybrid vehicle utilizes a fuel cell and a driving battery, offering a range of 200 km on battery power alone, extended to approximately 1,100 km with the addition of the fuel cell unit. While plug-in hybrids often bring to mind a combination of an engine, motor, and externally chargeable battery, this concept goes further, pairing a fuel cell with an externally chargeable battery, and notably, omitting a fossil-fuel engine entirely.

However, the more significant topic is its "autonomous driving" capability. As the name suggests, autonomous driving means the car makes all decisions and operations, transporting passengers to their destination automatically. In essence, this is a robot car capable of acting as a human driver, presenting a vision of future mobility. It's a concept car that brings to life the future seen in science fiction films, where cars transport their occupants to their destinations on their own.

The 26-inch wheels are positioned at each corner of the vehicle, and the cocoon-like form, drawn in a single curve from the front nose to the rear end, also has meaning. Traditional cars, even sports cars, maintained a minimum angle for forward visibility. However, the "F015 Luxury in Motion," freed from this necessity, adopts a design that seems to have "carved out space for windows" within its lightweight, one-piece carbon fiber body.

Although manual driving is still envisioned and necessary visibility is ensured, the camera systems, radar, and sensors equipped for automation provide support that surpasses human visual perception. This means thicker A and C pillars are acceptable. Obstacle detection is superior to human visual judgment. This has already been proven in commercially available vehicles with Intelligent Drive systems, such as the "S-Class" and "E-Class." Indeed, while a car may have physical blind spots from the driver's perspective, it effectively has zero blind spots.

Recalling the Era of Horse-Drawn Carriages

The interior, revealed upon opening the coach doors, is equally futuristic. With touchscreens on the doors for various controls, shell-design seats, and a flat floor made of real wood, the space embodies an advanced vision of the future, realized through premium materials and modern design, unlike any car before. Naturally, in keeping with a future car, adjustments for air conditioning, audio, and other functions can be controlled not only via touch but also through gestures and eye movements.

The key feature is the front seats. The two seats, including the driver's, can rotate backward, and the rear seats can also be fixed facing each other. Mercedes refers to this as a "lounge," a design made possible by a robot car where the driver doesn't need to look forward, meaning they don't need to drive. These are not just rotating seats for relaxation while parked; they are face-to-face seats allowing passengers to converse with those in the rear even while the car is in motion. Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of Daimler, remarked at the unveiling, "This car recalls the era of horse-drawn carriages," a sentiment with which one can certainly agree.

If there's no need for a driver, one might question whether this vehicle can still be called a car. This also implies that components familiar in today's cars, such as steering wheels, pedals, and mirrors, will become obsolete. While a minimum set of levers and switches will likely be necessary for manual control, the driver's area will undoubtedly be transformed from what we know today.

The rear bumper displays "STOP" in LEDs to alert following vehicles before stopping, and also features a QR code. From the front bumper, a virtual crosswalk is projected onto the road for pedestrians. Naturally, the "F015 Luxury in Motion" will automatically determine whether people will cross the road. Support for the surrounding environment and pedestrians is thoroughly considered.

Imagining the Car and its Urban Environment in 2030

While it may not be particularly meaningful to detail the power specifications of a concept car, the plug-in hybrid fuel cell powertrain delivers a total system output of 200 kW (272 hp). It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds and reaches a top speed of 200 km/h. Being zero-emission, the vehicle itself emits zero CO2.

For the "F015 Luxury in Motion" to actually run on public roads, various legal regulations must be cleared, and further perfection of such technologies from a safety perspective will be required, likely taking much longer than anticipated. While numerous challenges remain, from technological aspects to legal frameworks and human acceptance, it undeniably holds immense potential to revolutionize the very concept of a car and mobile transport on our roads.

The year 2015 is the future that the DeLorean traveled to in the movie "Back to the Future." In the film, cars and skateboards flew, and Jaws was advertised in non-screen 3D, but reality has not quite reached that level of advancement.

According to Mercedes, the "F015 Luxury in Motion" was developed with an image of the car and its surrounding urban environment in 2030. In the future, 15 years from now, will we no longer be driving cars? Will accidents be eradicated by autonomous robot cars? We won't know the answers until that time comes, but it is certain that humanity's endless dreams and technological progress have built society as we know it and woven the history that has led us here.