The concept uses a futuristic design with a low-slung front end, streamlined roof line, flat front windscreen along with a saloon-door-style door system featuring rear-hinged rear doors.

The model is based on the integration of an electric drive system with fuel cell using the F-Cell Plug-In Hybrid system seen in the F125! research vehicle from 2011 and combining a plug-in hydrogen fuel cell and two electric motors. The electric hybrid system has a total range of 1100 kilometres, including around 200 kilometres of battery-powered driving and around 900 kilometres on the electricity from the fuel cell. Daimler says this enables the F015 Luxury in Motion to cover distances similar to those of a comparable diesel-engined car, but purely on electric power with zero local emissions.

‘The single most important luxury goods of the 21st century are private space and time,’ said Dr Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. ‘Autonomously driving cars by Mercedes-Benz shall offer exactly that. With the F015 Luxury in Motion, this revolutionary concept of mobility becomes tangible for the first time.’

Self-driving technologies include the "Extended Sense" sensor system that uses stereo cameras and radar and ultrasonic sensors to monitor surroundings in a 360-degree radius and relay the data.

The F015 also uses visual and acoustic signals, including large LED displays, to communicate with its surroundings. LED lights are used to indicate what driving mode it is currently in – blue stands for autonomous and white for manual. The rear LED display is also capable of displaying short messages for traffic behind, such as "STOP" or "SLOW".

The F015 also features a high-precision laser projection system that projects a broad cone of light onto the road in front showing important information. This includes, for example, a virtual zebra crossing indicating to pedestrians on the side of the road that it is safe to cross. And if the F015 brakes with the intention of stopping, a suitable projected display marks the position where it will come to a stop. Other road users can then prepare themselves accordingly.

The interior has been designed to enable occupants to make the most of their journey time and is based on a variable seating system, with four rotating lounge chairs that allow a face-to-face seat configuration. The electrically powered seats also swing outwards by 30 degrees as soon as the doors are opened.

The research vehicle is also focused on being a “digital arena”, using six display screens integrated into the instrument panel and the rear and side panels. Passengers can interact intuitively with the connected vehicle through gestures, eye-tracking or by touching the high-resolution screens.

Dr Zetsche added: ‘Already two years ago, with the S 500 INTELLIGENT DRIVE we showed on the historical route Bertha-Benz took in 1888 that we have the technology which makes autonomous driving reality in everyday traffic. We have a master plan in place to take the big leap required getting from technically feasible to commercially viable. The F 015 Luxury in Motion demonstrates where this may take us.

‘Anyone who focuses solely on the technology has not yet grasped how autonomous driving will change our society. The car is growing beyond its role as a mere means of transport and will ultimately become a mobile living space,’ he concluded.