PANDORA ON WHEELS

Mercedes-Benz Vision AVTR.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

Mercedes-Benz Vision AVTR.

Concept cars give automakers a chance to let their hair down and imagine what the future could be like. And at CES 2020, Mercedes-Benz really went all out with the Vision AVTR.

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AVTR stands for Advanced Vehicle Transformation though I suspect it has equally to do as much with the fact that the car was designed in collaboration with the people behind Avatar the movie – yes that blockbuster from 2009 that made over US$2.7 billion at the box office. 

The Vision AVTR is all organic lines and sensuous curves. The windscreen is a huge bubble and the doors are transparent glass. Inside, there are no gauges, dials, or even a steering wheel because it’s the future and so the car is fully autonomous.

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One of the unusual things about the car are the 33 flaps on the rear end, which Mercedes says can be used to communicate with people outside the car. Another unique element are the wheels. The wheels were inspired by the Tree of Souls and have small contact patches so that they can be driven over grassy surfaces without destroying them. 

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Naturally, the Vision AVTR is an all-electric car and Mercedes is proposing the use of graphene-based organic cell batteries that are cleaner to manufacture, non-toxic, and recyclable. 

It’s all about being clean, green, and respecting the environment like the Na’vi.

PICTURE MERCEDES-BENZ