From：Internet Info Agency 2026-09-08 17:15:09
On September 8, 2026, Mercedes-Benz filed a patent for an SUV control system. According to the patent documents, the inventor is Jörg Kneip, and the applicant is Mercedes-Benz Group AG. The system remains at the patent stage and is not currently associated with any production project; the patent does not disclose plans for a mass-produced amphibious SUV. The system enables the vehicle to float using detachable buoyancy modules installed within the four wheel arches. These modules are made of foam or inflatable materials, and a control unit can independently inflate or deflate each corner module to adjust buoyancy based on load and water current conditions. Once deflated, the buoyancy modules can be stowed in the spare tire compartment and are inflated by an onboard air compressor when the vehicle prepares to enter water. After the vehicle floats on the water surface, all four wheels participate in propulsion and steering. The tires can continue rotating and changing direction, while the adaptive suspension adjusts wheel angles. The drive motors used for land travel also provide aquatic propulsion, with the control unit capable of individually regulating forward or reverse torque at each wheel. The system can allocate power to specific wheels to manage the transition from floating to tire-ground contact driving.
