Although it has always been in the news, the C111 prototype series has never had a direct extension on the road. You have to see there mobile laboratories that explore different avant-garde technical solutions. We can’t say that the first C111 made a mark since it was equipped with a fiberglass body and its engine was a rotary Wankel which, today, decorates the shelves of automobile museums.
But, this time around, that might change with a noticeably different naming that seems to tickle Porsche’s ego a little bit. Indeed, rather than being called C111, Mercedes introduced a dash for what becomes, in English, the Vision 1-11 (One Eleven). From there to making the connection with the most famous Nine Eleven on the planet, there is only one step.
However, Mercedes has kept a vile copy and continues its momentum of the C111. It even launches the debate on the topic, as exciting as it is controversial, of electricity. And first of all the space it takes up on board, its weight and its performance. Under an aspect of computer mouse common to all these prototypes, the One Eleven will be able to show off its plastic at the Design Essentials show organized by the brand with the star in Carlsbad, California.
It will be able to highlight its very fluid lines and appeal, beyond its spectacular appearance, to the attentive observer. At 1.17 m high, this all-electric manages to house a new generation battery, composed of cylindrical cells like so many batteries, cooled by liquid and equipped with innovative chemistry. They stem directly from experience in Formula 1, which immediately raises the question of the cost price of this battery and its application in large series.
The other great innovation of the Vision One Eleven is these two axial flux motors instead of the radial flux that equips 99% of current production. Developed by Yasa, an Oxford-based British electric motor specialist that has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz AG since July 2021, this motor is radically different. This is enough to shake Chinese certainties and allow old Europe to finally take back the technological initiative.
“Axial flux motors are significantly lighter and more compact but also more powerful than comparable radial flux motors,” said Tim Woolmer, Founder and CTO of Yasa. In an axial flux motor, the electromagnetic flux is parallel to the axis of rotation of the motor, which is very efficient, while the radial flux is perpendicular to the axis of rotation. They therefore have considerably higher and longer lasting power reserves, which offers a whole new level of performance. In addition to its power and torque density, another major advantage is the compact block which reduces the weight and dimensions by two thirds compared to current electric motors of the same power. »
This opens up whole new perspectives for engineers to design a vehicle, but democratization is not yet for tomorrow. Mercedes is preparing to produce these axial flow engines at its Berlin-Marienfelde plant for high-performance models, capable of absorbing the initial additional cost. But Mercedes will not refrain from using this asset at other range levels, the prospect of being able to make smaller and lighter electric cars constituting a real strategic asset at a time when we are seriously considering taxing them.