Beyond Tesla: Mercedes-Benz Is Redefining the EV Landscape with Innovative Tech

Automotive Innovation

For many years, the mantle of innovation in the automotive industry has seemingly been taken by new EV manufacturers, like Tesla and BYD.

This is because not only did they change the way the cars are powered, but also because redesigning cars from scratch and first principles allowed for a radical change of perspective of what was possible or not.

However, it would be a mistake to disregard all the “legacy” manufacturers. Recently, Mercedes (MBGAF) has made a big announcement with a wide array of innovations that could completely change how cars are made, illustrating that the experience and R&D firepower of older brands should not be too easily dismissed.

Visions of Mobility In 2040

In November 2024, Mercedes flew in a selected panel of journalists to Germany to present its vision of the future of automobiles and mobility.

It started with a vision for 2040+ in 3 global cities: London, Los Angeles, and Shenzhen.

These visions of the future are something that Mercedes sees itself as instrumental in bringing to life, thanks to the innovations presented in the same event.

London

Source: Inside EVs

Here, the focus seems to be on reducing urban congestion, matching the current trajectory of London’s urban policies:

• Shared space between human-driven and autonomous vehicles, which are signaled.
• Parking only in (expensive) multi-story garages.
• Small deliveries are done by small robots, and larger autonomous delivery vans are only authorized in specifically dedicated zones.
• Lots of green space with shade that generates power through solar panels.

Los Angeles

Source: Inside EVs

As this urban landscape is a lot less dense, the car-focused American style of urbanism and culture persists, but with an overlay of green technology and advanced tech:

• Reserved bike lanes stand alongside car lanes populated by a mix of EVs, autonomous vehicles, and “classic cars”.
• Public garages and roadside parking spots are still present, contrary to London.
• Drones and robots are omnipresent, providing a dense network of personalized delivery as well as mitigating climate change-related risks like fires.
• EVs are recharged through a mix of inductive (contactless) charging stations and solar coating utilizing the very sunny weather.

Shenzhen

Source: Inside EVs

Today, the city is essentially China’s San Francisco and Silicon Valley, and this future vision reflects it. This is a much more vertical, ultra-dense, and ultra-modern urban landscape, built with mobility over three dimensions in mind:

• Parking is only authorized in multi-story garages.
• VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) taxis transport people throughout the city, likely with autonomous flying programs.
• Ground transportation is also multi-leveled, with pedestrians and cyclists having their own suspended paths above the traffic.
• Robots are everywhere and part of everyone’s lives, performing many services from cooking to delivery.
• Parks and green areas reduce the heat and provide communal living space.
• High-speed trains are also instrumental in bringing people in and out of Shenzhen toward the neighboring cities, especially the rest of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area, the economic and technological core of modernized China.

Source: Research Gate

Mercedes-Benz CLA EV Prototype

Besides technologies, one car prototype Mercedes presented was the CLA, an electric sedan prototype with extraordinary battery capacity.

This model demonstrated an ability to drive as much as 2,309 miles (3715 km) in 24 hours, including charging stops. Of course, it is a remarkable demonstration that in the long run, range anxiety will not be a serious concern for EVs.