Mercedes-Benz unveils Vision One Eleven concept with axial flux motors and ‘unique battery chemistry’
This week, we got a special invitation to Carlsbad, California, to peek behind the curtain of Mercedes-Benz’s International Design Center (IDC). It was here that the automaker’s creative team shared details of its fifth design strategy, which includes NFTs, augmented reality, and some exciting new motor technology. The true star of the show, however, was the debut of Mercedes’s latest all-electric concept, the Vision One Eleven – a hyper-futuristic nod to an experimental legend that debuted over 50 years ago.
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California dreamin’… in orange
While we can’t talk about the main reason for our trip to California just yet, Mercedes-Benz and its design team had a jam-packed schedule for us leading up to an exciting world premiere of a new Vision concept that features several innovations we could eventually see in production EVs.
This is a similar design approach to last year’s debut of the Vision EQXX EV, of which several new technologies have since been integrated into EV designs donning the star badge, including the automaker’s upcoming MMA platform.
Before the official debut of the new Vision One Eleven, we were swiftly but politely herded like cattle through the sectioned-off IDC, station to station, where we learned about many of the exciting designs the automaker has going on.
Admittedly, some of these stations involved combustion vehicles – or, at the very least, hybrids – so we’re going to skip that recap. I do however want to point out two very interesting technologies that I got to learn about firsthand – both of which relate to the Vision One Eleven concept seen below.
Mercedes’s concept imagines a new way of augmented driving
One of the stations we were shuffled into at the Mercedes-Benz IDC was an augmented reality experience built around a cockpit that simulates that of the Vision One Eleven concept. When we went and saw the Vision EQXX last year, the automaker was working on some exciting tech in 3D maps in its UX navigation – some of which we’ve seen integrated into actual EQ-line EVs.
With the Vision One Eleven however, the Mercedes design team has taken the reality of the traditional driving experience and accentuated it with augmented vision technology. One that blends seamlessly with your real-world surroundings.
Like much of the tech you’ll hear about surrounding this concept EV, there will need to be some concessions made to actually make it into a production vehicle. The need for special glasses be damned, Mercedes-Benz is dreaming big here and may be well ahead of its time.
The AR experience previews a genuinely plausible future in which our vehicles will interact with us and the world around us through a combination of what’s actually in front of our faces and what is being digitally displayed. Whether its vehicle stats, 3D maps, or nearby points of interest, this experience was a treat to “drive,” and was well executed by the company in my opinion. We won’t see anyone driving around wearing AR goggles any time soon, but I’d imagine there’s a middle ground where the technology is successfully integrated.
Axial flux motors could be the future of electric hypercars
Have you ever heard of YASA? Yeah me neither, but you probably will. The company was founded by Dr. Tim Woolmer back in 2009 while he was still studying at Oxford. Although the market for EVs back then was a mere iota of what it exists as today, Woolmer had the foresight to understand the impending need for smaller, more powerful, and more efficient electric motors in the future.
Fast forward to today and YASA has successfully taken an archaic motor design dating back to the 1820s and optimized it using modern-day technology and materials in truly clever ways. The result is the axial flux motor – a truly viable alternative to traditional radial motors used in most EVs today. After an EV equipped with six axial flux motors ripped up the hill and into the record books at the Pike’s Peak climb in 2015, YASA started to turn some heads – including some big names in hypercars.
Its motors have since been integrated in production vehicles like Koenigsegg Regera, as well as the Ferrari Stradale SF90 hybrid. Naturally, Mercedes-Benz’s performance arm AMG wanted to learn more, which led to the umbrella wholly acquiring YASA in 2021. While YASA does still develop technologies for the automakers mentioned above, Mercedes-Benz and AMG in particular is its prime focus now and going forward.
This week, we got to see the first implementation of axial flux motors in a Mercedes vehicle beneath the Vision One Eleven concept… although how many motors are actually present remains a mystery. In speaking with the automaker’s chief technology officer Markus Schäfer, the Vision One Eleven can house up to four YASA motors, but as for how many are currently on the EV, we were told “multiple.”
Alright, time for the moment you’ve been waiting for. Here’s the new Vision One Eleven concept from Mercedes in all its glory, next to a familiar(?) face that inspired it. Hope you like orange paint and silver leather!
Mercedes’s new concept is an exercise in nostalgic creativity
Before the fog machines got pumping and Mercedes-Benz chief design officer Gorden Wagener rolled out in the radically designed Vision One Eleven concept, the German team was dropping us hints throughout the afternoon.
Whether it was a subtle, untitled photo in a presentation, or a virtual silhouette during the augmented experience, us visitors were eventually able to deduce what we would be viewing. Honestly the orange “One Eleven” branding everywhere was a dead giveaway too.
Mercedes’s latest concept is a nod to the fabled C 111 – a limited group of experimental vehicles from the late ’60s and early ’70s that were used to test turbodiesel engines and polymer-based body shells.
During the debut, we breathed an assuring sigh of affirmation when Markus Schäfer cruised out in one of the few remaining C 111’s in the world. It was quickly followed by the modern-day concept it inspired, the Vision One Eleven. Check the two out side-by-side.
Like the experimental turbodiesel that inspired it, the Vision One Eleven concept is not expected to reach assembly lines. Instead, and like its Vision EQXX sibling, the One Eleven is more of a creative study in design – and a preview of some technologies we may see in production EVs one day.
The exterior design was dreamt up as a statue (the art) sitting atop its black base (the aerodynamics). It also features Mercedes-Benz’s iconic gull-wing doors, just like the original C 111. Gorden Wagener spoke to the design themes that went into the concept:
Our goal at Mercedes-Benz is not to do styling – our goal is to create icons. To me, that makes the difference between mainstream design and luxury. Design icons like the Type 300 SL and C 111 – both with gullwing doors – are part of our DNA. These legendary vehicles were major inspirations for the iconic design of the Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven. This is beauty and the extraordinary united in one vision of the future. Our all-electric vision show car is the modern-day interpretation of the C 111, which was avant-garde at the time. The element of surprise comes from its exceptionally clean, purist and, at the same time, extremely muscular proportions. This iconic clarity is also reflected in the interior. The equally sensual but minimalist design language stands for ICONIC LUXURY by Mercedes-Benz.
The look of it is one thing. We’ll let you peruse the images below for a closer look, but despite its unique aesthetic, Markus Schäfer told us in a roundtable interview that the true focus of the Vision One Eleven concept – particularly, in regard to technologies we could see sooner rather than later – is performance. The Mercedes CTO refrained from sharing any specific details of what the concept can do on the track – but it is designed with technology that could break some records – especially the axial flux motors from YASA.
Schäfer explained that thanks to their considerably smaller size, weight, and increased power density, YASA motors will definitely be a part of Mercedes-Benz-branded EVs in the future, whether its a production hypercar closer in look to the Vision One Eleven, or an AMG performance version of a passenger EV powered by those boring old radial motors.
Another very interesting component (briefly) mentioned by Schäfer was the concept’s liquid-cooled cylindrical batteries, inspired by Formula 1 cell chemistry. During the concept debut, the CTO said Mercedes has some truly exciting battery technology to share with the world… just not yet. We will have to wait for a separate event at a later date (sure to also include more classwork on German engineering for us writers). Schäfer spoke:
The Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven combines breathtaking design with groundbreaking powertrain technology. Like its historical namesake, it explores new paths for the future of sporting performance. At the heart of the compact and extremely efficient powertrain is the innovative YASA axial-flux high-tech electric motor. It offers a motorsport-like power output from a considerably smaller package. This makes the YASA axial-flux motor ideal for electric high-performance vehicles. Combined with the liquid-cooled cylindrical-cell battery with Formula-1 inspired cell chemistry, the Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven is yet another proof point for the broad performance spectrum encompassed by our four-pronged development strategy for electric drive.
So while we likely won’t see a Mercedes-Benz Vision One Eleven on public roads someday, it does offer some exciting hints to what the automaker and its designers are up to. Performance is the name of the game in EVs going forward, as the company seems to still have luxury down pat.
The integration of axial flux motors and this mysterious new battery chemistry could soon offer another echelon of performance trims in existing Mercedes EVs, and/or help power future MB hypercars to new world records.
Next, we will need to see what that aforementioned battery tech is all about, and try to find out where and when we can see YASA’s motors in action within a Mercedes-Benz vehicle, concept or not.
Electrek’s Take
What do we think?
Before y’all start with the “it’s a concept, who cares,” hear me out, please. You should care. Will you be able to buy a Vision One Eleven one day? Probably not. Would you want to though? You see those silver leather seats? Not for me, personally. Eek.
The real star here in my opinion is the YASA motors. The axial flux technology was the talk among many of the writers and definitely one of the most impressive things I saw during the trip. Smart move by MB wholly acquiring this company. Its founder was working to make this technology feasible long before there was a genuine need for it. Hell, there wasn’t even really a bonafide EV industry when Dr. Woolmer was trying to bring the original 1800s design to fruition.
His clever use of liquid cooling and segmented “pole pieces” are genius innovation and should help enable some of the lightest, fastest, and most powerful EVs we’ve ever seen… we just need viable battery technology to keep up.
I’m already looking past the concept reveal and want to learn more about Mercedes’s new batteries. I was assured I’d get the invite, so stay tuned on that. In the meantime, enjoy the imagery above and the debut video below.
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Construction and mining giant Caterpillar has reached a major milestone for its autonomous haulage system (AHS), reaching one million tons (!) of aggregate hauled by the company’s massive self-driving trucks.
The milestone was reached as part of an ongoing collaboration between Cat and Luck Stone’s Bull Run Quarry in Chantilly, Virginia to help demonstrate the worth of Caterpillar’s in-house AHS solution, and goes a long way towards proving to doubters of autonomous technology that AHS has what it takes to safely and dependably operate in a working quarry.
And, crucially, that the AHS Cats can keep an existing quarry running strong, even in the face of continuous labor shortages in the mining and aggregate industries.
Reaching the one million tons hauled autonomously milestone confirms that autonomous haulage can deliver consistent, repeatable performance. It also signals how autonomous solutions will address skilled labor shortages, improve site safety, increase operational efficiency, and upskill quarry employees to run autonomy.
Since the initial deployment of the autonomous tech stack-equipped Cat 777 haul trucks, the collaboration has focused on validating autonomy along with the people and processes in conditions that are typical in quarry operations but distinct from mining, where the benefits of autonomous operation has seen more significant deployment.
With the success of the Luck Stone pilot at Bull Run, however, that mining/quarry imbalance may not be the status quo for much longer.
“This milestone is a powerful demonstration of what’s possible when we collaborate with our customers to deliver solutions for their critical needs,” explains Denise Johnson, Caterpillar Group President, Resource Industries. “Reaching one million tons hauled autonomously at Bull Run shows that autonomy isn’t just for mining – it’s scalable, reliable, and ready to transform the aggregates industry. We’re proud to collaborate with Luck Stone to lead that transformation.”
Caterpillar hopes the Bull Run project sets a precedent for the broader aggregates industry, and they continue to explore opportunities to expand autonomy across additional Luck Stone sites and operations.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Caterpillar.
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The Northwest Seaport Alliance has announced the recipients of its inaugural incentive program for zero emission drayage trucks – and they’ve turned to the logistics experts at Zeem to deploy 19 battery electric semi trucks to serve the Seattle-Tacoma gateway.
The Northwest Seaport Alliance incentive program is funded by a $6.2 million grant from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), and will see bring 19 zero emission Class 8 semi trucks (like the Kenworth T680, shown) and their associated charging infrastructure to the Puget Sound region.
“We are thankful to the Northwest Seaport Alliance for helping the region adopt electric trucks, and we invite truck operators to experience how well they are matched to the job of hauling drayage,” says Paul Gioupis, CEO of Zeem Solutions. “We have served truck fleets for several years, and our goal is to make it a compelling business decision for fleets, that is both economically and environmentally sustainable.”
19 trucks, hundreds of charging customers
In a bid to help make electrification an even more compelling option for PNW truck fleets, the new Zeem facility won’t just serve its fleet of 19 electric semi trucks – the project also includes a charging depot that will be able to serve up to 250 electric vehicles per day, with overnight parking capacity for up to 70 vehicles, including heavy-, medium-, and light-duty vehicles.
“Nearly 4,000 short-haul trucks serve the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, traveling to nearby distribution centers and warehouses,” reads the official press release. “… operators will be able to switch to electric trucks and charging without the large amount of upfront capital typically needed for heavy-duty EVs and charging infrastructure.”
The charging site will be located near the new I-5 exit ramp just south of SeaTac Airport, along SR-99 (International Blvd./Pacific Hwy.), convenient for nearby warehouse and distribution centers that see a large volume of truck deliveries.
Electrek’s Take
Drayage trucks are typically heavy-duty Class 8 trucks that work short haul routes from ports to warehouses or loading facilities. They frequently travel back and forth along local roadways, meaning they have a high impact on air quality in a given area. And, depending on who you believe, truck emissions represent about 6% of all seaport-related diesel pollution and about 30% of all seaport-related climate pollution in the Puget Sound region – emissions that disproportionately impact communities living near port operations and along freight corridors.
As such: more electric drayage is more good news.
We had a chance to talk to Zeem CEO, Paul Gioupis, as one of our guests on Quick Charge last summer, and a lot of that discussion is still relevant today. Give it a listen (above), then let us know what you think of all this in the comments.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Zeem Solutions.
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The California Senate dropped a controversial provision of an upcoming solar law which would have broken long-standing solar contracts with California homeowners after significant public backlash over the state’s plans to do so.
For several months now, AB 942 has been working its way through the California legislature, with big changes to the way that California treats contracts for residential solar.
The state has long allowed for “net metering,” the concept that if you sell your excess solar power to the grid, it gives you a credit that you can use to draw from the grid when your solar isn’t producing.
Some 2 million homeowners in California signed contracts with 20-year terms when they purchased their solar systems, figuring that the solar panels would pay off their significant investment over the coming decades by allowing them to sell power to the grid that they generated from their rooftops.
But this has long been a sticking point for the state’s regulated private utilities. They are in the business of selling power, so they tend to have little interest in buying it from the people they’re supposed to be selling it to.
As a result, utilities have consistently tried to get language watering down net metering contracts inserted into bills considered by the CA legislature, and the most recent one was a bit of a doozy.
The most recent plan was asked for by the CA Public Utilities Commission, in response to an executive order by Gov. Gavin Newsom, was authored by a former utility executive, and used some questionable justifications, claiming that solar customers were responsible for high utility bills by shifting costs from solar customers to non-solar customers. Other analyses show that rooftop solar helped save $1.5 billion for ratepayers.
The most controversial point of AB 942 was that it would break rooftop solar contracts early. At first, it was going to break all existing contracts, then was limited to only break contracts if a homeowner sells their home. The ability to transfer these contracts was key to the buying decision for many homeowners who installed solar, as the ability to generate your own power and lower your electricity bills adds to a home’s value.
This brought anger from several rooftop solar owners and organizations associated with the industry. 100 organizations signed onto an effort to stop blaming consumers who are doing their best to reduce emissions and instead focus on the real causes of higher electricity, which the groups said are associated with high utility spending and profits.
It also resulted in several protests outside CA assemblymembers’ offices, opposing the bill. And California representatives received a high volume of comments opposing the plan to break solar contracts.
But, as of Tuesday, the language which would break rooftop solar contracts has been removed by the CA Senate’s Energy Committee, chaired by Senator Josh Becker, who led the effort. Language which blamed consumers for utility rate-hikes was also removed from the bill, according to the Solar Rights Alliance.
The bill is still not law, it has only moved out of the Energy Committee. But bills that advance through committee in California do not usually meet a significant amount of debate when they come to a floor vote, due to the Democratic supermajority in the state. It seems likely that if this bill advances to a vote, it will pass.
Electrek’s Take
The bill is still not perfect for solar homeowners. It disallows anyone with a yearly electricity bill of under $300 from getting the “California Climate Credit,” which is a refund to state utility customers paid for by California’s carbon fee on polluting industry.
The justification is thin for removing this credit from homeowners who are doing even more for the climate by installing solar… but it turns out that limitation probably won’t affect many customers, because most solar customers will still pay a yearly grid connection tax of around $300/year, and most solar customers still have a small electricity bill anyway at the end of the year.
Now, the question of a grid connection fee is another point of possible contention. This has been referred to as a “tax on the sun” in some jurisdictions, and it does feel like an attempt to nickel-and-dime customers who are contributing to climate reductions and should not be penalized for doing so. However, there is at least some rationality in the concept that they should pay to use infrastructure (but then… isn’t that the point of taxes, to build infrastructure for people to use?).
In short, even if it’s not perfect for every solar homeowner, we can consider this a win, and an example of how, at least with functional governments (unlike the US’ one), the public can and should be able to stop bad laws, or bad portions of laws, with enough public effort.
Now, if only we could apply that to those ridiculous EV fees…
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FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
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