Mercedes F600 Hygenius Concept
The Mercedes Benz F600 Hygenius Concept is a research vehicle by Mercedes Benz powered by a forced inducted fuel cell hybrid powertrain. With fuel cell technology employed, emissions is zero and consumes the equivalent of 2.9 liters per 100km.
Mercedes calls the air compressor an electric turbocharger, though I don’t know why. Don’t ask me why LOL! There are no exhaust gasses to spin up this turbine. Oh well, up to them! The fuel cell powertrain makes a constant 82hp and 250Nm of torque. Combined with the hybrid electric motor integrated into the rear axle powered by lithium-ion batteries, the total power output for the F600 Hygenius Concept is 115hp and 350Nm torque. On low speeds such as parking and traffic jams, the car runs on the electric motor alone, relying on the fuel cell drive only during acceleration. The electric motor works as a generator when run in reverse, charging the lithium ion battery pack during braking. Top speed is approximately 170km/h.
Mercedes Benz has also enabled the F600 Hygenius Concept to act as a mobile power source. Several houses can be hooked up to the electric motor so provide electricity during a blackout. This redefines the meaning of ‘multi purpose vehicle!’ 
There is a power socket at the tailgate of the vehicle so you can hook normal electrical devices up to it. Imaging bringing this vehicle to go for a a trip in the outdoors. You could hook up your electric steamboat or BBQ grill to it.
The seats can be turned around 180 degrees on it’s axis. This is useful when you want to bring a child around in the front passanger seat. You can just turn it around and face the chair backwards. The backrest cushion also has electric motors in them. These motors can bend the cushion into shape to fit your body’s contour.
The tailgate also has a nifty feature. When you open it, the lower half of the tailgate folds inwards, while the upper area swings upwards to open the tailgate. This allows the tailgate to swing open in a much tighter spot than it normally could if it had to swing upwards at full length. The doors also employ this space saving concept, though differently. It swings outwards and upwards as well, held up by gas absorbers.
All of the lights on this car are powered by LEDs. The headlamps are powered by triple projector LEDs. Signal lamps and brake lamps are also powered by LEDs. LEDs take up less power and generate less heat. Ideal for a hybrid fuelcell car.
There are also video cameras mounted on the wing mirrors to help you when you want to change lanes. Footage from these cameras are projected onto the windscreen at a point 1.4 meters in front of the car. This is to reduce driver eye strain. Your eyes can get pretty tired if you keep having to refocus your eyes from the traffic ahead to the side mirrors.
Ever heard of some unobservant driver opening the car door without looking? A car coming from behind could knock the door off if you open it without checking. The wing mirror video camera detects if there are any incoming objects and temporarily disables the doors from being opened until the object has passed. No more knocked off doors!
Mercedes Benz intends to bring fuel cell technology to the mainstream between 2010 and 2015. That’s a decade from now, somewhere in my lifetime! Which brings me to think of the people purchasing Proton Wajas in Malaysia with 9-year hire purchase loans. By the time they finish paying off the loan, their cars would be severely outdated!
October 23, 2005 @ 5:28 pm
wow !! simply amazing…even the design is cool
October 23, 2005 @ 5:30 pm
whoa… that’s so ultra futuristic… i hope they can speed up the process… it’s good to be clean and fuel-efficient
October 23, 2005 @ 5:33 pm
wow!
nice looking and fuel efficient car.
if this car ever come out to production surely i’ll buy it.
if i had the money then
October 23, 2005 @ 6:19 pm
This car is just concept!!
boring y all cool car only concept,
if have real 1 then we can c it on the road cuz the rich fellor will buy
hahahaha cuz lookin cool mah
October 23, 2005 @ 6:22 pm
This is the best looking fuel cell car. Great design!! This is awesome!!
The Best fuel cell car design goes to…….. Merc F600!
It makes the Honda’s fuel cell one looks like shit.
October 23, 2005 @ 6:22 pm
Fuel cell cars I am loving it!!!
Can’t wait until 2010!! POTONG what can you sell to us!! Work harder or work together with Merz now!!
October 23, 2005 @ 7:41 pm
i bet not even 50% of the car wil make it to production..i tink it wil look as dull as the a-class in the final version….
October 23, 2005 @ 7:55 pm
Aiz….all concept car,
but this car fuel consumption is very low,design looks good
October 23, 2005 @ 8:29 pm
Fuel…cells…….Yeah!! awesome!
YAU MO KAU…..CHOU!!
October 23, 2005 @ 9:07 pm
Simply a Genius.
October 23, 2005 @ 9:09 pm
just one comment = 2.9 litres per 100km? damn that’s very save cost..
October 23, 2005 @ 9:11 pm
well at least korea will have the hydrogen infastructure to handle this car by then..
peace,
A
October 23, 2005 @ 9:54 pm
Paul,
Update: the waja is ALREADY outdated
October 23, 2005 @ 10:27 pm
looks great now… but i think by 2015…this kind of design will be a bit outdated…. and i think by that time…. all other car makers will be having their own hybrid/fuelcell car…so there will be no hoo haa about it…. enjoy it for now.
October 24, 2005 @ 1:48 am
the side window screen are too big…err..i mean too low…can’t have any privacy…if u know what i meant…hahaha…cheers. but overall I like the design.
October 24, 2005 @ 2:09 am
2.9 L per 100km, wtf. i want one!
/but fuel $$$ will be offset by car price, lol
October 24, 2005 @ 9:29 am
paul, isn’t ‘electric turbocharger’ is actually a supercharger? i.e. instead of using the exhaust to spin the turbine, it uses it’s own power unit (electric) to do so so there’s no lag. I also thought this is what merc refers to the KOMPRESSOR? i could be wrong.
October 24, 2005 @ 9:59 am
burn: Yes, exactly. Don’t care lah, up to them whatever they want to call it.
October 24, 2005 @ 11:54 am
wahlau, love everything about except the the way the doors open. hehehehehe.
October 24, 2005 @ 1:57 pm
MANTAP!
October 24, 2005 @ 4:22 pm
Best car i ever seen…
October 24, 2005 @ 9:10 pm
seeing the design took much of forfour base….
awkwardly cool and very useful to virtually everybody.
October 25, 2005 @ 8:39 am
this is what i call a concept car….. bravo merc…..
evrithing looks great and the design looks like and F1 car…… really great car….and the fuel consumption is very economical!!!! although that type of fule is really hard to get at this time but u thing next 2,3 years people can get it just like the petrol station……
August 15, 2006 @ 2:57 pm
[...] Hydrogen cars are very efficient. Any of you remember the Mercedes Benz F600 Hygenius Concept I posted a long time ago? That car ran on hydrogen as well, but the hydrogen is stored in fuel cells. Where to get this hydrogen has always been a problem. LMG’s on-board electrolysis device could be the catalyst to a new generation of fuel saving hybrids. For now, LMG’s system runs on a mix of both petrol and hydrogen, but a pure hydrogen system would definitely be possible. [...]