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Fisker Ocean Hyundai Mobis M-Vision S
Boutique alternative-fuel carmaker Fisker has unveiled its first- Hyundai’s in-house Tier I parts supplier Hyundai Mobis ginned up an
ever fully electric SUV. The compact model has mass-production autonomous transportation pod concept that can, in a pinch, be
aspirations and an overtly environmentally conscious vibe. manually driven. This M-Vision S is also a real communicator—both to
Roughly the size of a Chevrolet Equinox, it rides on a new EV occupants inside and pedestrians outside the car. Different colored
platform with a roughly 80-kW-hr battery capable of 250 to 300 lighting, sounds, digital signboards, and headlamps that project
miles of range. A rooftop solar panel is claimed to add up to 1,000 images and words on the ground all help the M-Vision S communi-
miles of driving range over the course of a year (color us skeptical). cate the vehicle’s intentions to the outside world, especially when it’s
Fisker claims the standard two-wheel-drive model will have 300 being manually driven. Doing so moves the driver’s seat into position
hp, and a performance all-wheel-drive model with more power and disgorges a handlebar steering system from the dash. Most of
will hit 60 mph in 2.9 seconds. Inside, the interior is mostly made the time, though, the computer will do the driving while you work or
of recycled materials. Its party piece is a 16.0-inch center screen, play with the screens inside the vehicle, all of which are controlled by
matched with a 9.8-inch screen for the instrument cluster and a gestures. As you might expect, a digital assistant recognizes you with
head-up display. Another neat feature: the ability to lower every a facial scan, links automatically to your phone, and suggests vehicle
piece of glass save the windshield. It’s promised to start at $37,499 functions based on everything from your calendar to your mood.
when it goes on sale in 2022, but you can put down a $250 deposit
today if you’re so inclined, or wait and lease it at $379 per month
with $2,999 down.
Mercedes-Benz Vision AVTR
The Vision AVTR is inspired by and linked to the Avatar movie fran-
chise, which is getting a second installment 12 years after everyone
stopped talking about the first one. Mercedes hitched its wagen to
Honda Augmented Driving Concept this star because the movies touch on sustainability, environmental
This cute little roofless thing is an autonomous vehicle preservation, and a connection between human and machine, the
that lets you pretend to drive—though it won’t let you get yourself exact themes designers toyed with when dreaming up the AVTR
into trouble. It won’t remind you too much of driving in the good concept. The car is controlled by a big nub on the center console that
old days because there are no pedals: You push forward on works like a joystick. There are no buttons or even screens for you to
the steering wheel to accelerate and pull back to decelerate poke. Everything is projected onto the dash and center console from
or brake. You can also pass the steering wheel from left to right the ceiling and manipulated by a virtual controller projected onto the
to swap “drivers” while in motion. In autonomous driving mode, palm of your hand and activated by gesture controls. The “wheels”
swiping across the steering wheel will initiate a lane change. The have a skinny contact patch to minimize their footprint but can tilt
fully encased wheels are a question mark, though a video Honda onto their convex sides and allow the car to crab walk, if you needed
produced shows the car with normal tires. Although the car recalls to for some reason. More conventionally, a compostable organic cell
the adorable Honda E, it wasn’t designed by the same person. chemistry battery gives the car a 400-mile range.
← Sony Vision-S
The biggest surprise at CES was that Sony displayed a car, a
battery-electric vehicle called the Vision-S. Don’t expect it to go into
production, though. It’s really a showcase for Sony technologies with
an automotive application, like solid-state lidar and CMOS imaging
sensors. In total, 33 sensors ring the vehicle to provide the data
needed for autonomous driving. While the tech takes the wheel,
passengers are treated to a front and individual rear displays paired
with Sony’s 360 Reality Audio sound system. Sony didn’t provide
technical specs of any kind. We know it’s an EV, but that’s about it.
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