Mercedes-Benz unveiled the concept vehicle called F125! last month in Frankfurt and it might just be the answer to the questions of the luxury vehicle segment on what ride they can get that gives out some power but then greener, just like how every regulation in different countries ask for.
The F125! actually checks a lot of boxes in the wish list of car manufacturers for the future. It has high quality materials, driving that is computer assisted, high tech telematics, and the fuel cell hydrogen drivetrain.
The F125! might sound like a big science project but according to the research and development team of Mercedes-Benz, it holds the key to the future of the S-Class line of the brand. The car, according to the team, was built keeping in mind what the car in 2025 will look like.
The future S Class puts it way above the regulatory standards of today. By 2025, the fuel mileage of a vehicle must average 54.5 miles per gallon while in EU the CO2 emission must average only 130 grams per kilometer by 2015. These limits puts manufacturers of big internal combustion engined vehicles like the S Class against the wall, that is why Daimler decides to go with an electric drive.
Going electric does not solve the dilemma on the S-Class since the market for this car demands power, and cruising range. And Mercedes-Benz is thinking of 1,000 kilometers with zero emission which will meet tough regulations by 2025. To address the range and power issue, the only answer is to go with fuel cells to run the 4 electric motors of the F125!.
Daimler though is giving the F125! the feel when you start your ride today, so instead of using the standard design, the concept vehicle makes use of a system which is still on research stage. The technologies involve are next generation systems but is still under development.