Concept Cars

Mercedes-Benz Vision Van Concept Can’t Get Sleekier Than This (Photos & Video)

Published

7 years ago

July 28, 2017

The futuristic design of the Vision Van provides a foretaste of future generations of vans.

The Vision Van is a combination of emotion and intelligence. The design underscores its function as a platform for a fully interconnected logistics concept and renders this concept tangible for the driver. The highly complex technology is stripped down to its fundamentals, thereby making it extremely user-friendly. While the high standards in terms of aesthetics and attractive appearance are never neglected. The Vision Van’s design is hot and cool. As such, it embodies the essential elements of our design philosophy: sensual purity.

The face is defined by the extremely wide windscreen, which curves around to the sidewalls like a high-tech visor. A surprising highlight is the brand’s signature radiator grille with integrated LED matrix. Its displays convey the vehicle’s intelligence in an impressive manner. The sharp contours of these elements contrast with the vehicle’s smooth surfaces, engaging in a fascinating dialogue between passion and emotion, technology and functionality.

The interior of the Vision Van also represents a design philosophy of sensual purity. It strips down highly complex technology to the bare essentials and embodies a seamless transition from interior design to user experience and is characterized by the perfect combination of emotion and intelligence. The deliberate omission of a steering wheel, pedals and centre console provides an unusually broad scope for design purposes.

This enabled Benz to design a sculptural dashboard that spans the entire front of the cab like an arc, creating a wrap-around effect. It is covered in a premium textile that melds the digital world and the interior.

The vehicle also communicates with the driver via the cabin floor. By way of a special effect LED indicators shine in the stainless steel floor, signalling to the driver whether pedestrians or cyclists are approaching, for example. At the rear wall of the driver’s cabin are the package dispenser and the driver’s info terminal providing all the relevant information on the delivery process. This terminal serves as a means of communication between the Vision Van’s autonomously functioning system environment and the driver who is able to fully concentrate on the manual delivery task at hand. It also performs the role of a central control unit to interlink the intelligent vehicle, the automated systems and the information relating to the delivery orders to be carried out.

At the same time, the interior concept also facilitates the driver’s work procedures. The omission of a steering wheel, pedals and centre console provides for freedom of movement in the driver’s cabin and ensures unimpeded entry into and exiting from the vehicle. The electric drive system does away with the need for a drive line, making it possible to provide the driver’s cab with a level floor. The on-board package dispenser spares the driver the time-consuming and strength-sapping task of searching for and resorting consignments in the cargo space. The driver is able to take receipt of packages at the dispenser in an ergonomically ideal position.

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