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Daimler announced details of a concept electric vehicle using solar technology and bio-based materials, with the German auto giant saying it has a range of more than 1,000 km. (about 621 miles) on a single charge.
The Vision EQXX There are 117 rooftop solar cells – the idea being that they can help increase the vehicle’s range – while the interior of the car incorporates materials including an alternative leather called Mylo.
Mylo is manufactured using mycelium, which Daimler describes as the “underground root-like structure of a fungus.”
“It is certified bio-based, which means it is made primarily from renewable ingredients found in nature,” says Daimler. Other materials used on the vehicle include a “cactus-based biomaterial” called Deserttex and carpets made from bamboo fibers.
In a statement released on Monday, Markus Schafer, Daimler’s chief technology officer responsible for development and procurement, said that the technology program behind the concept car would “identify and enable vehicle models.” and future Mercedes-Benz features.”
Schafer was detailed notice before in a LinkedIn post late last year. On Monday, Daimler said the range figures were “preliminary and based on digital simulations of real traffic conditions.”
If an electric vehicle could go more than 621 miles on a single charge in real-world conditions, it would help dispel concerns about range. The term refers to the idea that electric vehicles cannot make long journeys without losing power and running aground.
As technology developed, electric vehicles began to evolve. Tesla says its Model S Plaid has an estimated range of 396 miles, while Lucid says the Lucid Air Dream Edition has an “official EPA rating of 520 miles.”
The Vision EQXX represents the latest example of how car companies are finding ways to use different materials in their vehicles.
In September, Volvo Cars announced it wanted all models to sell skinless by 2030. The Swedish company also said it wants a quarter of the materials used in its new cars “to include recycled and bio-based content” by 2025.
In 2019, Elon Musk’s Tesla says the Model 3’s interior is “100% leather-free”. Elsewhere Porsche – trademark owned by Volkswagen Group – offering customers the option of free leather upholstery for the interior of the all-electric Taycan.
Guaranteed supply
In an interview with CNBC’s Annette Weisbach that aired on Tuesday, Daimler’s Schafer sought to paint a picture of how supply chains will change in the coming years as technology evolves.
“If you look at this car here [the Vision EQXX]What does a new car need? It needs software, it needs chips and it needs batteries. “
“And a lot of these items are new… they weren’t needed before, so the purchasing team, the logistics team, they need a new focus,” he said.
“So we’re getting more involved in the supply chain than before, looking at the raw materials for [the] batteries, look at semiconductors, where they’re manufactured. “
He was also asked whether Europe should do more to produce and secure the goods and semiconductors needed by the car industry, as well as other industries.
“Yes, I believe Europe should absolutely do it,” he said. “We’re very dependent on other parts of the world right now, and we should… change that.”
“So we need to focus our investments in Europe on semiconductor production, we need to look at the raw materials for the battery cells.”
