Mercedes-Benz Vision Iconic
Image: Mercedes-Benz
German carmaker Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the Vision Iconic prototype, the first car with its “solar paintphotovoltaic solution, during Shanghai Fashion Week in China. The company said the coating consists of innovative modules just 5 micrometers thick that can be applied to the car body “as a wafer-thin paste” or to other substrates.
The protective layer is described as a new paint based on nanoparticles that transmits 94% of solar energy. Each module weighs 50 grams per square meter, is thinner than a human hair and achieves an efficiency of approximately 20% on an area of 11 square meters, equivalent to a mid-sized SUV.
Mercedes claims the coating can generate electricity for up to 12,000 km of travel per year under standardized irradiation at its factory in Stuttgart, Germany, or up to 20,000 km in Beijing. The solar coating can be applied with any paint color and does not use silicon or rare earth materials. It can generate energy when the vehicle is turned off and store it directly in the battery.
“Vision Iconic embodies our vision for the future of mobility,” said Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG. “With groundbreaking innovations such as neuromorphic computing, steering by wire, solar paint and Level 4 highly automated driving, together with cutting-edge technology, we are setting new standards for the electric and digital age.”
The prototype also features neuromorphic computing to reduce the energy required for data processing by 90%, supporting autonomous driving systems. The Vision Iconic includes ‘steer-by-wire’ steering, which eliminates the mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels to save space and simplify interior design.
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