This Unimog Concept Uses the Natural World To Generate Power With an Ultra-Techy Design

Marceli Rogata is an Industrial Design student from Cracow, Poland. While his Behance page has yet to show countless designs, the few available clearly show a love for the outdoors, adventure, and exploration. All this is the deciding factor that has led this designer to take a beloved Unimog overlanding machine and transform it into his idea of what the future of this industry may bring. From regen braking to tilting solar awnings and hydrogen drive, this Unimog is a tad different from what we're used to.

Now, the project starts off with your typical Unimog chassis, adapted to match the highly futuristic shell on the rear. But attention to this part of the vehicle is minimal; Rogata focuses more on the living space and the interior working of the machine or the drivetrain.

Starting with the things we can't see, I pointed out that this puppy is designed to operate on hydrogen. While details could be clearer, we see that a hydrogen generator is in place. When used in unity with the massive solar array this machine carries, it's supposed to create all the power needed to tackle the world's most unforgiving terrains. How all of this happens is what attracted my attention.

For a moment, imagine that this machine is real, and you're out in the middle of nowhere, pulled over to enjoy the view for the next day or two. As you're enjoying your life, exploring the local flora and fauna, the Unimog is also working hard, regenerating its resources for the next leg of the journey.

All this begins with a set of massive solar awnings that Rogata integrates into the roof of the overlander. After deploying these massive elephant-ear-like structures, the sun's rays will feed a massive battery array. Throw in an air-to-water generator, and the basis for electrolysis is now in place. If electrolysis is a new term to you, it's just the process used to split water into hydrogen and water. Are you starting to get the idea here?

Once the water has been captured from the air, technology that even exists today, and throw in an electrical charge, you can start capturing hydrogen. With a network of hardware that could be better defined, all that hydrogen is pumped into a generator and used as power for the drivetrain and any other combustion-driven system. For some reason, regen braking is also thrown into the mix; maybe it's for days when the sun isn't shining at its best. But, when riding downhill with a 12-ton average machine, you're bound to be generating a noticeable amount of juice.

Now, futuristic drivetrain aside and all, let's explore what this designer has in store for the living space. Starting with the very top of the habitat, the sides of the roof include those expandable awnings, but segments of the roof also showcase clear glass, allowing owners and adventures to chart the night sky. This use of glass continues along the sides of the enclosure, once again allowing you to blend into the world around you and observe it from the safe confines of your Unimog. It needs to be mentioned if shifting or switchable glass is used. It could be window tinting.

Inside, we can see Rogata's passion for such vehicles shine through with a very clean and spacious setup. At the very rear, a modular U-shaped dinette is in place and, at a whim's notice, shifts into nothing more than a bed. As we head toward the front, the port side includes a galley block with hidden compartments for a cooktop and fridge, and starboard, a lounge bed is spotted. At the front, the cab-over space doubles as another bedroom or is used for storage, and underneath, we find a shower on the galley side and a workspace vis-a-vis. Overhead, nothing but storage bins and compartments line the edge of the Unimog.

One final trick this bugger has up its sleeves is the presence of a vehicle garage. You can find this feature at the rear of the overlander. It is exposed using a lift system, tucking whatever vehicle or gear you bring right underneath the modular dinette I mentioned. Other than that, time will tell if the industry will ever aim for something like this.

The electrolysis-driven powertrain, air-to-water generator, adaptable solar awnings, and even the regen braking are all systems that can and often actually aid in off-grids adventures, so we stand a chance of seeing such machines in the wild. Sure, they won't be sharing the same image as this concept, but all this tech is viable. It's only a matter of time before we see something along these lines someday.