The Mercedes F-Cell Roadster - Car of the Future

Mercedes-Benz threw the rule book out the window and for more than a year 150 of their trainees from various departments, worked to build a car of the future - a Roadster with fuel cell drive. Even more significant is the obvious links that the concept has with the original Mercedes-Benz 1888 Motor car.

The 150 trainees and dual education system students worked on the overall concept, development, assembly, and completion of the remarkable F-Cell Roadster. This project involved junior employees from the fields of automotive mechatronics, model building, electronics, coating technology, manufacturing mechanics, product design, and interior appointments. The prime objective of the project was to integrate the topic of alternative drive systems into training with hands on experience.

"This project impressively demonstrates that the topic of sustainable mobility has become an integral part of our vocational training," said Human Resources Board member and Labor Relations Manager Gunther Fleig.
"I am delighted to see how much initiative and creativity the young people have put into this project."

Tradition meets the future
The F-Cell Roadster uniquely combines state of the art technologies with the history of vehicle construction. As an allusion to the world's first motor car, the Benz Patent Motor Car from 1886, the vehicle is fitted with large spoked wheels.

The F-Cell Roadster incorporates stylistic elements from diverse eras of automotive history, such as the carbon-fibre bucket seats with hand stitched leather covers and the distinctively styled fibreglass front section, based on the frontal area of a Formula One racing car.

The F-Cell Roadster is controlled with drive-by-wire technology, and a joystick takes the place of a conventional steering wheel. The vehicle is powered by the emission free fuel cell system located at the rear. With a power rating of 1.2kW the F-Cell Roadster reaches a top speed of 25 km/h and has an operating range of up to 350 km.

Source: JUST CARS, August 2009, Collectors Issue #162