Car Giant Goes All Out for Its Green Ride – Including Seats Made with Mushrooms!

The German automaker Mercedes has developed an all-around green car, and every detail has been taken into account, from sustainable and recycled materials to renewable energy sources.

According to Mercedes, the EQXX all-electric concept car is a “technology blueprint for series production,” and since the brand wishes that half its sales are electric cars by 2025 and the virtually “ready to go all-electric” by 2030, EQXX’s battery and electric motor technology will be added to the production from 2024 and onwards.

For the car to be able to run 998 km on a single charge, the vehicle needs to be lighter: indeed, the battery pack is twice smaller and 30% lighter than the Mercedes’ EQS, the wheels and the brakes are made from magnesium and aluminum, and the suspension is made from fiber-glass reinforced plastic – metal only being used specifically for structural integrity and crash safety. Equipped with solar panels on the roof to power the air conditioning, lights, and touchscreen system, the concept car uses leather-like material like mycelium – or mushrooms – pulverized cactus fibers and bamboo fibers for its interior. The frame’s empty spaces are filled with UBQ, a mixture of landfill waste that includes mixed plastics, gardening waste, and even diapers. Mercedes’ EQXX first driving test is scheduled for Spring.