Vans aren't really treated as hot news here on CarBuzz, but Mercedes has been on a roll lately with exciting reveals like the all-electric eSprinter van and the interesting RWD-based Metris van. Even aftermarket tuning companies like Lexani have taken Mercedes vans and transformed them into badass off-road monsters. Mercedes clearly sees vans as a significant part of its future and has now revealed a new concept to showcase how it sees the future of van technology.

It's called the Vision Urbanetic, and it was built to show off Mercedes' vision of a self-driving autonomous pod. The idea of an autonomous pod isn't exactly new, as companies like Volkswagen are already working to put them into production. This Mercedes concept is a bit different because it has the unique ability to transform with new bodies to suit different purposes. This is similar to a recent patent filing by General Motors for a transforming car, but the Vision Urbanetic handles its transformations a bit differently.

Essentially, the base vehicle is a floorplan with batteries, much like the underpinnings of a Tesla. The base can then accept different bodies that can be interchanged within a few minutes to carry out various tasks. For example, the body for hauling cargo does not feature any windows and maximizes space, while a different body can seat up to 12 people comfortably. The idea is incredibly cool but too farfetched to ever reach production anytime soon. This is purely a concept, and a concept only.