Luxury automaker Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the features and a prototype of its new concept car called the F 015 Luxury in Motion, which is an all-electric and fully autonomous-drive vehicle.
On Jan. 5, Monday, Mercedes-Benz revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that the self-driving car features inside door panels with web-connected touch screens, which enable drawing exterior views from 360-degree view cameras.
Even when the F 015 Luxury in Motion is driving, its front seats can swivel to face backward. Via a smartphone app, the location of the car can be tracked while it parks itself. The 272-horsepower hydrogen-electric drivetrain that powers the concept car boosts it from zero to 62 mph in 6.7 seconds.
Mercedes-Benz F 015 Luxury In Motion designer Vera Schmidt said she always has access to the car and she can see "where it is on the road, in the traffic, in the area."
In addition, the futuristic style of the car's exterior features a long wheelbase allowing for a larger cabin. It also has 26-inch wheels and coated windows, which can cut down on glare.
On the other hand, Mercedes-Benz representatives acknowledged that it is unlikely to immediately achieve most of features of concept car in for-sale models. For example, safety concerns during front-end collisions make it unlikely to get approval for the front seats facing the back while the car is motion.
According to Mercedes, fully autonomous cars like the F 015 Luxury In Motion will become a common vehicle in highly developed cities by the year 2030.