The Mercedes-Benz F800, which runs on gas, electricity, and hydrogen, is clearly the right pathway of future automobiles. The F800 hybrid will combine a traditional gasoline engine using direct-injection technology with a hybrid module, which can be powered up by simply plugging into a charging station.
Meanwhile, the F-cell variant will run on hydrogen stored in tanks under the seats for electric driving with zero local emissions. The only emission, in fact, is pure water vapor.
As well as prophesying the three-lane philosophy, the F800 is in many ways the sculpted shape of things to come from German marque. It’s essentially a three-liter sedan, like its predecessor the F700, but has streamlined sportscar aesthetics with a coupe-like roof and rear doors that slide open, allowing passengers to leap out like less-graceful members of the A-Team.
It’s actually longer and wider than your average upper-end sedan, in order to accommodate the two alternative engine configurations, but innovations inside the car have kept the weight down. The seats are covered in real wood and perforated leather, but they cover a very minimal lightweight plastic skeleton. The floor of the car is now a single piece of metal rather than the heavy—and costly—sandwich design.
Prices are likely to start at around £30,000 ($43,000) for the hybrid and even more for the F-cell, Mercedes warned.
[Mercedes]
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