Avatar fans may have to wait until 2022 for a sequel to their beloved 2009 film. But fans should be excited about the latest concept car revealed by Mercedes this year. The Mercedes-Benz VISION AVTR (you are meant to pronounce each letter, and it stands for Advanced Vehicle Transformation) is a glimpse into a future where humanity and nature are one.

We dove into this futuristic concept that looks like a car the Na’vi (the tribe of sapient indigenous humanoid species from the movie) would have designed themselves.

The VISION AVTR is entirely electric and recyclable

The Avatar-like car of the future is designed with a compact and super-powerful high-voltage battery. Innovative in that for the first time, Mercedes-Benz harnessed graphene-based organic cell chemistry in this technology, meaning no metals, no toxic elements, and zero fossil-related materials.

The 110-kWh battery pack provides up to 435 miles of driving range and is 100% recyclable. This battery technology also presents automated conductive charging. Imagine being able to completely recharge the vehicle’s battery in under 15 minutes.

With a total combined engine output of more than 350 kW, the Vision AVTR is an example of how humanity might harness immense power without emissions or impact on the environment.

Mercedes-Benz added all-wheel drive like no other

Imagine four high-performance electric motors near each wheel. Add in precise torque vectoring, and you now have independent control of each wheel. The VISION AVTR allows for driving each simultaneous and in opposing directions. The result? The ‘crab-movement’ capability of about 30 degrees to either side. It’s a concept not realized in today’s vehicle design and embodies an animalistic approach to movements.

A one-with-nature approach to materials and style

To look at the VISION AVTR, you might first think it’s a hatchback relative. But in the rear, there are 33 moving panels, intended to simulate reptile scales. There are light strips tracking throughout the entire car, designed to simulate a pulse or living neural network.

The interior offers quick-growing rattan and other sustainable materials like a kind of vegan ‘leather.’ Ola Källenius, the chairman of the Board of Management for Mercedes-Benz, said the car is more of a living creature than it is a machine.

A human and vehicle connection

The VISION AVTR is designed to be one with its driver and comes with a complete biometric connecting system of controls. There is a multifunctional control element that takes the place of a traditional steering wheel and recognizes the person in the driver’s seat.

Projecting menus become available with the movement of the occupant’s palm. Imagine you are a Na’vi native, and you use your tail to ‘bond’ with your spirit animal. Driving the VISION AVTR would be that symbiotic.

Will this Mercedes-Benz concept come to life for consumers?

The Mercedes teams worked closely with Avatar director James Cameron to develop this concept. Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment company also collaborated, allowing for an introduction on a movie-like scale.

The VISION AVTR isn’t going into production, and there are no plans for these types of vehicles to be available for consumer purchase. What Mercedes-Benz has done, however, is shine the light into the future and proven the nature-based, zero impact car is possible. The ‘scales’ and ‘lights’ just make it fun, especially for Avatar fans.

If anything, this concept car demonstration shows us that the technology is real, and transportation methods are sure to evolve. For anyone who loves the blockbuster movie, Avatar, the VISION AVTR is definitely a concept car you need to see.

If you could develop a vehicle to explore the fictional planet of Pandora, it would more than likely look and feel like the Mercedes-Benz VISION AVTR.