Mercedes-Benz could be testing one of the most bizarre ideas ever put forward for an off-road vehicle. The German luxury carmaker has filed a patent for technology that would let a four-wheel drive float on water and drive back onto land without assistance.
The concept is still in the patent stage, and there’s no indication yet that Mercedes-Benz will develop or launch an amphibious SUV for production. But the technology itself is fascinating to see how the company might approach extreme water crossings in the future.
Joerg Kneip is inventor, and Mercedes-Benz Group AG is the applicant with the German patent office. The system is built around a vehicle with two axles and four wheels, and several technologies work together to keep the vehicle stable while floating.
How Mercedes-Benz’s Floating SUV System Could Work
The system would have removable flotation devices (foam or inflatable) inside the wheel arches of the vehicle. Each unit could inflate/deflate independently.
A central control system would monitor the vehicle and adjust the flotation elements individually so that it remained balanced. That could be particularly important when the SUV encounters changing water conditions, currents, or load changes (e.g.).
If the system is not needed, flotation components could reportedly be stored in a place normally used for a spare wheel; an onboard compressor would inflate them before the car went into the water.
This would give the vehicle buoyancy but not a permanently bulky amphibious structure.
Wheels Could Help Steer the Vehicle in Water
One of the most intriguing things about Mercedes-Benz’s patent is that the vehicle would not necessarily have to use a conventional propeller or separate marine propulsion system.
Instead, the vehicle’s existing wheels would continue to turn while the SUV is floating. The steering and suspension systems could orient the wheels so that they help steer the vehicle through the water (like rudders).
The patent also proposes using the vehicle’s electric motors for propulsion while floating. Different amounts of forward or reverse torque could be applied to each wheel so that the control system can react to changing water currents and resistance.
This individual-wheel control might make the system more precise than just applying equal power to all four wheels.
Technology Could Help the SUV Return to Land
Getting an amphibious vehicle back onto solid ground is just as difficult as getting it into the water. Mercedes-Benz’s proposed system appears to tackle this by using wheel torque management, suspension control and software.
As the SUV gets closer to shore, the system could change how much power is applied to each wheel so that it keeps heading in the same direction (sideways movement would be reduced as the vehicle moves from floating to driving on land).
The suspension could also be involved here by changing the position of the wheels as the vehicle passes over the changing surface between water and land.
Inspired by Mercedes-Benz’s Off-Roading Capabilities
Mercedes-Benz already has a reputation for making vehicles that can tackle tough terrain. The G-Class in particular is off-road capable and water-wading as well.
But the patent proposed here takes water crossings a step further. It isn’t just that an SUV can drive through deep water, but the technology is designed so that the vehicle floats and moves through the water.
That would make the concept particularly interesting for extreme off-road applications, but a lot of engineering work would need to be done before such a system could be commercially viable.
No Production Plans Confirmed Yet
A patent doesn’t mean a new Mercedes-Benz vehicle is coming to market. Automakers patent technologies and engineering solutions all the time that never make it to production.
Mercedes-Benz has not announced plans for a production amphibious SUV based on this concept; the patent shows only one way to solve difficult water-crossing situations (flotation, software, electric motors, suspension technology and individual wheel control).
If the technology ever gets past the patent stage, it could be one of the most unusual off-road vehicles in Mercedes-Benz history, but until then the floating SUV is just another piece of automotive engineering rather than a future model.
