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Merc joins the battery push
A new interactive sculpture in Cape Town symbolises rapid advances in car technology, writes ARTHUR GOLDSTUCK.
It commissioned designer Es Devlin to create an interactive sculpture in a solar-powered pavilion, called the Zoetrope. It will be open to the public, at no cost, for the next 12 months. The thinking is that, in future, a global network of solar-powered pavilions will act as charging stations.
Es Devlin
At present, Nissan and BMW lead both the electric vehicle (EV) and charging station market in South Africa. The BMW i3 and Nissan Leaf are synonymous with EVs in South Africa, and were recently joined by the Jaguar E-Pace. The Leaf has been not only a popular choice in the market, but has also helped Nissan advance a vision called Intelligent Mobility. The concept incorporates driving technology, battery technology and the car’s integration with a broader ecosystem.
It is clear that Mercedes-Benz’s Electric Intelligence is a direct challenge to Nissan’s thought leadership in this arena. To this end, the German car-maker has come up with an additional framework it calls CASE. That’s a loose acronym for networking (Connected), autonomous driving (Autonomous), flexible use (Shared & Services) and electric drive systems (Electric).
That does not mean the existing petrol-driven range will take a back seat. says Fritz, “We need the core business to invest in the electric future.”
Selvin Govender, Marketing Director of Mercedes-Benz Cars South Africa, points out that the new technology is still evolving.
Continue reading to find the EQ brand roll out.
