|
Price |
|
-- |
Production |
|
-- |
|
Engine |
fuel
cell plug-in hybrid |
Weight |
-- |
|
Aspiration |
-- |
Torque |
-- |
|
HP |
313
hp (peak output) |
HP/Weight |
-- |
|
HP/Liter |
-- |
1/4 mile |
-- |
|
0-62 mph |
4.9
seconds |
Top Speed |
-- |
(from Mercedes-Benz
Press Release) The new Mercedes-Benz F 125! research vehicle -
Redefinition of automotive luxury: emission-free driving in First
Class
Trailblazing
concept for large, luxurious automobiles
F-CELL Plug-in HYBRID with a range of 1000 km
Revolutionary hydrogen storage technology
Lithium-sulphur high-voltage battery with high energy density
Pioneering battery charging by induction
e4MATIC-all-wheel drive with four wheel electric motors and
individual torque control at each wheel
Bodyshell of lightweight hybrid construction with gull-wing
doors for optimal access, more safety and reduced weight
Innovative saloon car architecture of avantgarde design
Driver-fitness safety and ease of operation at the highest
level, thanks to natural touch, gesture and voice control§
Always online, always connected with "@yourCOMAND"
Cloud-based infotainment
As a highlight marking
125 years of the automobile, Mercedes-Benz is presenting a visionary
outlook on future technical developments in the luxury segment. The
F 125! research vehicle anticipates future trends and prepares the
way for implementation of an innovative premium concept for large,
luxurious automobiles.
In the F 125!
Mercedes-Benz rigorously follows its vision of emission-free driving
with hydrogen power, underlining the potential of H2 as an energy
source for the future. While previous Mercedes-Benz research
vehicles have "looked ahead" by roughly one vehicle generation -
seven to eight years - the F 125! as the latest technological
visionary goes a whole step further, by more than two generations to
the year 2025 and beyond.
"With the F 125! we want
to show that large, comfortable and safe saloon cars have an
excellent future, partly because they are able to operate with no
emissions. The legend that is the S-Class will continue into the
future thanks to intelligent solutions that always have the
customer's needs in mind," says Prof. Dr. Thomas Weber, member of
the Board of Management of Daimler AG, responsible for Group
Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development. "The new research
vehicle illustrates and underlines this claim to leadership with
innovative ideas and traditional Mercedes strengths in the areas of
design, safety, comfort and performance."
Innovative ideas reaffirm the
claim to leadership in the luxury segment
The F 125! demonstrates
how completely emission-free, individual mobility might be realised
in the luxury segment in the future. The researchers and developers
at Mercedes-Benz have incorporated already well-proven concepts and
technologies which are not yet available today, but for which basic
research has shown great future promise, and therefore a realistic
chance of implementation in future series-production cars. The
decisive innovations are:
A logical further
development of the fuel cell drive system in combination with
plug-in technology
Revolutionary tank technology: the structure integrated
hydrogen composite storage unit.
Lighter and more powerful batteries, in this case based on
lithium-sulphur technology, which Mercedes-Benz is examining in
parallel with further development of the current lithium-ion
battery and research into lithium-air technology.
On this basis the F 125!
was created as an innovative four-seater luxury saloon with a
powerful, emission-free electric drive system based on the fuel cell
technology developed to series production maturity by Mercedes-Benz.
This study combines pioneering and highly efficient storage, drive
and bodyshell technologies with unique control and display concepts.
The research vehicle also presents itself with an expressive design
which transfers the classic Mercedes design idiom into the
future.Highlights of the F 125!:
Completely
emission-free mobility with a range of up to 1000 kilometres,
full day-to-day suitability, superior performance and
first-class comfort.
A bodyshell of innovative, lightweight hybrid construction
with a high proportion of fibre-reinforced plastics and an
intelligent mix of carbon-fibre, aluminium and high-strength
steels, which allows a significant weight reduction while
offering a further considerable improvement in safety. A
high-strength construction with crash-responsive protective
systems within the doors allows the omission of B-pillars, as
well as the use of wide gull-wing doors which allow convenient
access to the four seats. In this way the Mercedes-Benz safety
philosophy and in particular the decisive principle of the rigid
passenger cell developed by Bιla Barιnyi in 1952 are being
concertedly taken forward for the future of individual mobility.
A high-voltage lithium-sulphur battery with a specific energy
density of 350 Wh per kg at cell level, which allows
considerably higher recuperation rates in combination with the
e4MATIC all-wheel drive.
A control and display concept based on touch, speech and
hand-gestures makes the F 125! a true "companion" with whom the
driver is able to interact flexibly and effortlessly. The
gull-wing doors of light-weight CRP construction can also be
opened and closed by hand-gestures.
Highly attractive displays using 3D and projector-beam
technology to open up new visual possibilities.
Next-generation, substantially networked telematics allow
internet-based voice control, integration into social media and
extensive remote control of vehicle settings and entertainment
functions.
Innovative assistance systems for lasting driver stress
relief, e.g. Advanced Driving Assist for semi-autonomous
driving.
Trailblazing exterior and interior design based on a
completely new saloon architecture.
Revolutionary: structural
integrated hydrogen composite storage unit
To store the hydrogen as
the fuel of the future, Mercedes engineers adapted a technology
which is still the object of basic research. This opens up
completely new perspectives with respect to the vehicle architecture
and operating range. "The structural integrated hydrogen composite
unit of the F 125! represents a real technological revolution, as it
allows the hydrogen tank to be fully integrated into the bodyshell
structure for the first time. In the future, vehicles with
emission-free fuel cell drive systems could achieve the operating
ranges of current diesel models with no loss of interior space,"
says Prof. Dr. Thomas Weber. Based on the current level of know-how,
Mercedes specialists consider it possible that they may develop this
technology to series production level from 2025.
The tank integrated into
the floor assembly has a capacity of around 7.5 kg of hydrogen.
Compared to the high-pressure tanks in use today, the H2 tank
potentially requires less installation space. This is because to
withstand a pressure of up to 700 bar, current tanks need to be
cylindrical in shape, and owing to this round cross-section there
are inevitably "cavities" between tanks installed next to or above
each other. In contrast, tanks that can be filled at a pressure of
30 bar or less can be better integrated into the bodyshell. At the
same time they are able to act as "structural" components.
Lithium-sulphur battery: compact
and powerful
A highly advanced, very
powerful lithium-sulphur battery is envisaged for the F 125!. It has
a storage capacity of 10 kWh and is installed behind the rear seats.
Combining the fuel cell drive system with the innovative lithium-sulphur
battery makes a total operating range of up to 1000 km possible, of
which up to 50 km can be under battery-electric power alone. It can
be inductively charged at "intelligent" charging stations, and the
convenient charging process can be monitored by smartphone. When
designing the F 125!, the developers worked on the assumption that
by the time of its introduction into series production, this battery
type will be capable of energy densities up to 350 Wh per kg. This
would represent roughly a doubling of current performance. The real
potentials of this technology are however the subject of basic
research, and are still difficult to assess at present.
Further development of the fuel
cell as an energy source
At the heart of the
drive system lies a particularly powerful further development of the
Mercedes-Benz fuel cell stack which has demonstrated its efficiency
and day-to-day suitability e.g. in the successful B-Class F-CELL
World Drive this year.
On 29 January, marking
the 125th birthday of the automobile, Mercedes-Benz commenced the
first circumnavigation of the globe with fuel cell powered electric
cars in Stuttgart - covering more than 30,000 kilometres on four
continents and through 14 countries. The three fuel cell powered
B-Class cars and their backup vehicles returned safely to Stuttgart
125 days later.
The stack in the F 125!,
which is further improved with respect to performance, consumption
and practical suitability, provides the power for four powerful
electric motors installed near the wheels, which ensure sporty,
superior performance figures. All in all the modular e4MATIC system,
which also uses improved drive components from the SLS AMG E-CELL,
generates a continuous output of 170 kW (231 hp) and a peak output
of 230 kW (313 hp).
This accelerates the F
125! to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds, with a top speed of 220 km/h.
Nonetheless, NEDC fuel consumption is only 0.79 kilograms of
hydrogen per 100 kilometres (= 2.7 litres diesel equivalent).
Always online, always connected:
"@yourCOMAND"
With the visionary
infotainment system "@yourCOMAND", the F 125! provides an outlook on
future Mercedes-Benz telematic systems. Its trailblazing features
include:
In Natural Handling,
operation is substantially by natural speech supplemented with touch
and intuitive hand-gestures. In the interests of maximum
driver-fitness and operating safety, the F 125! becomes the perfect,
always alert companion for its driver and passengers. The
possibilities go well beyond those of current systems. The driver
can e.g. request news items that are tailored to his personal needs,
and make specific, contextual enquiries, without removing his hands
from the wheel. The COMAND of tomorrow also becomes proactive.
In the future, the
driver will be able to start with the traffic report or retrieve
personal messages before the selected music programme begins. The
weather report will then automatically come on before the journey
ends, for example. Thanks to the mood-based configuration function
"Moods", such individual adjustments will be completed in a matter
of seconds in future. The F125! also opens up completely new
dimensions when it comes to external commu-nication and the use of
social networks. With the help of the Social Community Assistant,
the driver alone can decide who is allowed to "disturb" him, or who
receives information.
Thanks to the Seamless
Experience functions, the multimedia systems of the F 125! are
seamlessly and cross-functionally networked, socially interactive
and non-distracting. The exchange of information is no longer
impeded or interrupted on journeys, but is an integral part of the
concept. Because of constant connectivity with the Cloud, the driver
has seamless access to all the media he normally uses. The tedious
synchronisation of different communication and entertainment devices
is also completely eliminated. The so-called "digital lifestyle" of
many customers can therefore be continued both seamlessly and safely
when on board.
Sensory Perfection in
the F 125! means high-end sound and high-resolution screens with
brilliant, individual displays. If required, the autostereoscopic 3D
display for spatial representation of the instrument cluster is able
to show relevant information in clustered form. The 3D image adapts
natural visual habits, allows a better overview and thus relieves
the driver of stress. The head unit in the upper section of the
centre console uses projector-beam technology, and is controlled via
a touchpad with 3D fingertracking located within easy reach of the
driver. In addition to the head unit, the integrated selection bar
enables the instrument cluster and rear-view display to be selected.
Activated in this way, these displays can also be centrally
operated. A further, retractable 17-inch display is installed on the
front passenger side, and this is fully controlled by hand gestures.
In this way a rear passenger can select his personal film programme
with no physical contact.
A high-resolution
wide-image display allows the entire traffic situation behind the
vehicle to be conveniently monitored, and makes exterior mirrors
unnecessary. The image is adapted to human perceptive powers at all
times, and once again provides a much clearer overview with more
rapid and intuitive registration of the relevant traffic situation.
The vehicle and its
multimedia system, as well as all applications and contents, can be
completely remote-controlled using the Remote Convenience functions.
This e.g. means that via the vehicle's specific homepage, authorised
individuals have access at all times to information such as the fuel
level, next scheduled service or fuel consumption. Just as easily, a
home PC or of course a smartphone can be used for remote
configuration of the onboard navigation or entertainment system, and
to select individual interior temperature settings for each seat.
New assistance systems:
recognising dangers, travelling in style
With the help of
innovative driver assistance systems, the touring saloon of the
future defuses even "invisible" hazards and relieves driver stress
in many standard situations. If the driver requires, the F 125! is
able to carry out frequently occurring driving manoeuvres
autonomously.
Advanced Driving Assist
allows lane-changes on multi-lane, one-way roads, and in a further
development stage even automatic overtaking manoeuvres.Thanks to
radio-based networking with the environment, so-called Car-to-X
communi-cation, the F 125! is also able to exchange information with
other vehicles, a specially equipped infrastructure incl. traffic
lights or warning signs and traffic control centres. Specific
applications might include a warning of approaching emergency
service vehicles, well before the driver can see or hear them, a
reminder that other vehicles have the right of way at obscure road
junctions, or obstacles on the road.
Mobility of the future Utopias
shaping our tomorrow
It was visionaries and
dreamers who prepared the way for "automobility". The first
tentative steps were taken at the end of the 19th Century in a
techno-logical environment where the steam engine dominated the
world of power generation. The steam locomotive added motion to this
machine, and tracks were laid everywhere.
The idea of fitting
coach-like vehicles with compact, fast-running internal combustion
engines to make individual, easy and comfortable mobility possible
beyond the railway tracks was seen as "utopian" at the time i.e.
synonymous with "science fiction" or "fantasy".
Visionary engineers and
utopians such as Carl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler, Wilhelm Maybach or
Rudolf Diesel refused to be daunted, however. With the F 125!
Mercedes-Benz is once again demonstrating this pioneering spirit.
F 125! a specific outlook on the
vision of emission-free driving
With the new
Mercedes-Benz research vehicle, the vision of emission-free driving
with large, luxurious automobiles takes on a concrete form. The F
125! shows that the mobility of the future is emission-free and
sustainable, comfortable and visually very appealing. It embodies
technical and design innovation, and shows the way towards a society
able to cope without fossil fuels.
