There’s been a good deal of chatter and speculation with regard to Mercedes-Benz creating an ultra-excellent nü-NRG vehicle prototype; in fact, they’ve been tossing around some ideas for a while now. Fresh out of the idea oven, however, is a gnarly new design that Mercedes-Benz is calling the F-CELL Roadster. The vehicle clearly resembles some vehicles of yore, but the power system is completely cutting-edge. The vehicle is controlled by a joystick, similar to the antique drive-sticks, but it couples with drive-by-wire technology. The powertrain is matched to a 1.2kW emission-free fuel cell system that’s built in to the rear. The vehicle can reach a speed of about 15.5 mph and can do about 217 miles of driving on a charge.

Utilizing elements of Formula One racing, the front of the chassis is fiberglass and the seating hearkens to the Benz patent motor car. Says Günther Fleig, the Labor Relations Manager and a Human Resources Board member at the Daimler AG Sindelfinger plant, “This project impressively demonstrates that the topic of sustainable mobility has become an integral part of our vocational training.  I am delighted to see how much initiative and creativity the young people have put into this project.”