
World premiere of the Mercedes-Benz F 015 Luxury in Motion at the CES.

The F 015 has concept-car looks -- and it's unlikely to appear in showrooms any time soon -- but Mercedes has used it as a research project to gain valuable insight into future trends.

More than a quarter of a million people now have managed to get up close and interact with the F 015 during its lifetime.

The cabin of the F 015 is designed to allow users to experiment with what they'd like to do when vehicles are able to drive themselves.

The F 015 was introduced by Mercedes boss Dieter Zetsche at the Consumer Electronics Show back in 2015.

The F 015 is pure-electric, but it has the plumbing for a hydrogen fuel cell that could allow it to travel as much as 900 kilometers without refueling or recharging.

Engineers involved in the project already know that elements like the LCD touchscreens could be replaced and upgraded to crisper, more responsive OLED technology.

The car has four 32in touchscreens, one in each of its huge doors. Feedback from customer clinics has suggested that communicating with friends will be as important as watching TV.

The F 015 visited the UK briefly in July and then flew straight from there to South Africa for further customer clinics. Its world tour is expected to last at least another year.

Mercedes' future mobility solutions may not look exactly like the F 015, but the car has certainly shaped the direction of the company's vision on autonomous vehicles and their interiors.

The car made its debut in Las Vegas more than two years ago, but it's been on a worldwide tour ever since. More than a quarter of a million people have experienced it up close.


