Mercedes-Benz’s entry for this year’s Los Angeles Design Challenge at the LA Auto Show is this radical looking beast called the Ener-G-Force. While the design theme this year is titled “Highway Patrol Vehicle 2025,” the Merc entry offers a civilian take on things.
Seems the notion of designing tomorrow’s off-roader fascinated the designers at the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studio in Carlsbad, California to such an extent that they evolved the vision of a police version into a civilian version and even came up with a full-scale model of the design.
Like the police version, the model of the civilian Ener-G-Force draws its inspiration from the iconic G-Class, though things have certainly been considerably reinterpreted. Meaty would be a good descriptor for the concept, which displays a high shoulder line and scaled-down glass areas.
Design elements include a roof carrier and additional lamps which are integrated into the roof and a slightly off-centre pull-out toolbox compartment at the rear, the cover of which borrows its look from the spare wheel carrier of the classic G-Class. The pull-out box offers easy access stored equipment without having to open the whole lift-gate.
The Ener-G-Force is hydrogen-powered, and runs on water – the vehicle stores recycled water in tanks on the roof, and transfers it to the “hydro-tech converter,” which converts natural and renewable resources into hydrogen for operating the fuel cells.
Drive is courtesy of four wheel-hub motors, whose output for each individual wheel – which are 20-inch jobs – is adapted precisely to the respective terrain by high-performance electronics. Operating range is an impressive 800 km.
Features include a “Terra-Scan” 360-degree topography scanner on the roof, which continuously scans surroundings and uses the results to adjust the spring/damping rates as well as other suspension parameters for the best traction possible on any surface.
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Wtf!!! Eh 1st..
ure lucky coz paultan approved ur comment
Badass……ultimate road bully
its like something from outter space but soo cool..
Hummer beater.
Gosh! This thing look enormous. Powered by 1.8CGI?
I doubt it can replace the G-Class. Police and army prefer flat surfaces, it’s easier to repair and modify.
Mercedes already tried to sell standard lorries to the army, but was forced to resurrect the legendary “short-nose” 911 lorry in modern form:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_Zetros
Conquer everything: more comfortable than RR, more tahan-lasak than LR offroad, 0-100km in 2.4 seconds, 20 airbags and bullet-proof all-round.
Now, many uncivilised Hiluxes & Ninja Kings cannot bully you anymore. I have never seen any LR, X6 nor S-class bullying other road users.
wow.. drive this and kill zombies should be fun.!!
for the doomsday preppers or zombieland
damn scary..
at least, the Evoque will get its close rival…
at least, the Land Rover Evoque will get its close rival…
this merc beast makes hummer looks like a kitten…
Wahlao the top 4 rocket launchers can clear any road bully easily.
In 2025 it should be able to transform and walk around
Wow.. . hopefully got G-spot inside…
nice but if talk about ruggedness and toughness, Knight XV still looks more tough than this…..both eats Hummers for bfast….
can it fly on rooftop? if yes i want 1, i’ll spray it black and named it ‘black tank’.
…This fine bad-ass is 100% Stone-Cold-Steve-Austin certified…! And that’s the bottom line…because Stone Cold said so…! (*cue Stone Cold theme song)
mother dog