It looks like the Batmobile from the future. Mercedes unveiled a stunning new Vision Iconic EV concept, promising to “stand out in a sea of sameness.” The show car blends the Golden Era of auto design with advanced new tech and features like Solar Paint and Level 4 self-driving capabilities.

Meet the Mercedes Vision Iconic EV concept

The Vision Iconic offers a glimpse of the luxury brand’s new era of design. It’s no secret by now that legacy automakers are struggling to keep up with the influx of new, more advanced, and oftentimes better-looking EVs coming out of China, South Korea, and other regions.

Mercedes is drawing inspiration from its past icons to revamp the brand with a fresh new look. The first thing you’ll notice is the redesigned grille.

The updated grille design was first shown on the new GLC in August. After introducing a closed-off grille design on its first electric vehicles, Mercedes is going back to a more traditional luxury style with a massive, bold new look.

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Mercedes said the new front face, showcased on the Vision Iconic, enables the brand to “stand out from the sea of sameness.” And that it does. The concept builds on it with an illuminated upright star on the bonnet.

The electric coupe is inspired by the Golden Era of auto design, the 1930s. It draws inspiration from Mercedes’ icons, like the 300 SL and 600 Pullman.

According to Mercedes’ chief designer, Gorden Wagener, the Vision Iconic is “more than just an automobile – it is a sculpture in motion, a homage to timeless elegance, and a statement for the future.”

The concept is more than just a beautiful show car. It’s also packed with Mercedes’ most advanced tech and features.

An entirely new driving experience

Inside, the Vision Iconic is defined by “lounge-like comfort” and an entirely new digital experience. The instrument panel is a floating glass structure Mercedes calls “Zeppelin.”

Once you open the door, the instrument cluster comes to life with a screen stretching pillar to pillar. At the center, one of the four clocks is shaped like the Mercedes’ logo and acts as an AI assistant. The massive four-spoke steering wheel almost looks like something you’d find on a sailboat.

With steer-by-wire, Mercedes claims the Vision Iconic offers an entirely new steering experience with rear axle steering.

Mercedes said it’s also looking into using solar modules applied to the body of an EV to draw energy from the sun and extend the driving range.

According to Mercedes, an area of 11 square meters, or about the size of a mid-size SUV, could produce energy for up to 12,000 km (7,456 miles) a year in ideal conditions. The coating can be easily recycled and does not contain any rare earths or silicon.

Mercedes said the solar cells have a high efficiency of 20% and generate energy constantly, even if the vehicle is off.

And that’s not all of it. The company is also advancing neuromorphic computing, which Mercedes said “has the potential to reduce the energy requirements for data processing in autonomous driving by 90 percent compared to today’s systems.”

The Vision Iconic will come with Level 2 autonomous driving capabilities, but on the highway, Level 4 autonomy is activated.

Will we ever see the Vision Iconic on the road? Don’t get your hopes up, as it’s just a show car. However, you can expect to see several elements and new tech make their way into upcoming Mercedes models.

What do you think of the electric show car? A timeless design? Or should Mercedes head back to the drawing board yet again? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Aptera reports having secured access to $75 million in funding to bring its solar car to production as it is set to go public later this week.

As we reported last week, Aptera is about to go public on the NASDAQ this week, but there were, and still are, some concerns about their approach.

The company is doing a direct listing rather than an IPO or a SPAC deal, which means that Aptera doesn’t secure any funding from going public.

Generally, a direct listing serves as an exit strategy for existing shareholders. In the case of Aptera, there are numerous shareholders, as the majority of funding comes from crowdfunding campaigns.

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One of the biggest red flags is that company insiders, especially the co-CEOs, had no lockup period with the listing.

Furthermore, Aptera disclosed that it had only $13 million left by the end of June, as stated in its SEC filing. That’s not enough money to bring its solar car to production, and again, the direct listing is not getting any money into the company.

However, two days before going public on the NASDAQ, Aptera is now announcing that it secured “up to $75 million in equity financing”:

Aptera Motors Corp. (“Aptera”), the solar mobility company focused on developing highly efficient vehicles, today announced it has entered into share purchase agreement providing for up to $75 million of committed equity financing (the “ELOC”) with New Circle Principal Investments LLC, an affiliate of leading growth-focused investor New Circle Capital.

In short, Aptera will be able to sell shares New Circle Capital, which appears to be a small boutique firm.

Aptera says that it will use the proceeds to bring its solar car to production:

Proceeds from the ELOC are expected to support production readiness, including tooling and other activities required to bring Aptera’s Launch Edition vehicles to market. This structure gives Aptera the flexibility to raise capital in stages over time, aligning with the Company’s strategic priorities and market opportunities.

The company had aimed to bring its vehicle to production this year, but that goal was delayed due to ongoing funding issues throughout the year.

Electrek’s Take

This is relatively good news. As I mentioned last week, Aptera’s only chance is to raise money after the listing. However, the ability to do so without unreasonable dilution would only occur if the price holds next week.

For that to happen, Aptera needs insider and crowdfunders not to sell, and that’s a tall order.

Perhaps this announcement that Aptera can secure the funding to bring the vehicle to production encourages people to stay put. New Circle Capital buys the shares from Aptera, hoping that the stock gains momentum as the company reaches production.

We will see, but a lot of things need to go right for this to happen, and only a few need to go wrong for the whole thing to come crumbling.

I am hoping for the best as I’d love to see Aptera’s hyper-efficient EVs on the road.

While solar cars are cool, the most efficient way to power an electric car with solar energy is to have solar panels on your home. If you are in the US, the next few weeks are likely the last opportunity to secure a solar installation and take advantage of the federal tax credit, which is set to expire.

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