Mercedes-Benz unveils retrofuturistic F-Cell Roadster built by trainees
Mercedes-Benz F-Cell Roadster – Click above for high-res image gallery
Times may be tough, but that isn't stopping Daimler from having a bit of expensive-looking fun with its trainees... so long as there's an educational bent to it. What you see before you isn't an artful series of renderings, it's an actual time-warping fuel cell concept dubbed "F-CELL Roadster."
It took a year and more than 150 trainees to create, but the entire project involved using "junior employees," giving the company's up-and-coming employees a creative way to learn how alternative-fuel systems come together.The F-CELL Roadster marries Benz Patent Motor Car stylings with 21st century tech wonderfully, including that legendary vehicle's general aesthetic and proportions, along with old-meets-new technologies like carbon-fiber buckets capped in hand-stitched leather and a drive-by-wire central control joystick.
The centerpiece, of course, is the Roadster's fuel cell powertrain, which has a power rating of 1.2 kilowatts, a top speed of 25 kilometers-per-hour, and a range of 350 kilometers. That means you'll have a long, slow trip, just like those adventuring motorists back at the turn of the century. Official press release posted after the jump.
[Source: Mercedes]
PRESS RELEASE:
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Young people unite high tech and tradition
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Alternative drive systems as a training topic
In a hitherto unique project bridging various fields of profession, the trainees of Daimler AG at the Sindelfingen Mercedes-Benz plant have built a Roadster with fuel cell drive. For about a year, more than 150 trainees and dual education system students worked on the overall concept, development, assembly, and completion of the 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 Günther 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 Benz Patent Motor Car from 1886, the vehicle is fitted with large spoked wheels. Moreover, the F-CELL Roadster incorporates stylistic elements from diverse eras of automotive history, such as the carbon-fiber bucket seats with hand-stitched leather covers and the distinctively styled fiberglass front section, based on the component from the Formula One racing bolides.
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 1.2 kW the F-CELL Roadster reaches a top speed of 25 km/h and has an operating range of up to 350 km.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
GoodCheer 1:26PM (3/25/2009)
Thing 1: I think the term you're looking for is "steam punk"
Thing 2: With such little contact patches I don't imagine you'd want to try to lay down more than 1.2 kW...
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Chris M 2:15PM (3/25/2009)
Yeah, 1 and a half horsepower is kinda anemic, and the average cyclist can hit higher speeds.
Ernie 2:58PM (3/25/2009)
Thing 3: This is a remake of the original Mercedes Benz automobile.
Chris M 2:13PM (3/25/2009)
Oh, great, for only 20K you can have an open cockpit buggy that is slower than any NEV! And that 217 mile range comes in handy for those all day trips to the H2 fueling depot!
Somehow, I suspect this will never go into production...
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Ernie 2:56PM (3/25/2009)
Somehow, I think that someone is taking this too seriously, and doesn't get the joke.
dude 3:55PM (3/25/2009)
WTF. There are R&D programs that need the money, not this crap.
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Richard 4:18PM (3/25/2009)
Put some pedals on the thing and sell it as a quadracycle. I've been looking for something like this everywhere. Does anyone know where I could find one?
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GoodCheer 5:00PM (3/25/2009)
If you poke around here
http://www.bentrideronline.com/
for a while you'll probably come up with what you need. Especailly in the Velomobile section
One option is called the Rhodes Car
http://www.rhoadescar.com
KK 5:22PM (3/25/2009)
Richard,
Do you mean a purely human-powered vehicle? Check out the Bluevelo web site (http://www.bluevelo.com/), they import several models and also build a couple of models under license. I have a Quest and use it every day for commuting. My cruising speed is usually 20-25 mph on a flat road, and average speed for a trip is usually around 18 mph.
mycomya 4:47PM (3/25/2009)
Its a joke alright and not a very good one. How epically stupid!
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Mike!!ekiM 5:53PM (3/25/2009)
I'd like to see some money going to a Diesel-Hybrid. Something with a chance at Real Production.
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GenWaylaid 11:55PM (3/25/2009)
Bwa-ha-ha! I see they've successfully married the worst parts of 19th and 21st century motoring. The list is impressive: solid tires, unpadded seats, no visible means of braking, minimal speed and power, and a big hunk of expensive technology plunked right in the middle of it all! Now that they've answered the question, everyone can stop not asking.
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