Mercedes-Benz has confirmed production of the B-Class Fuel CELL vehicle.
The hydrogen-run car is initially to produce 200 models which will be delivered to customers in Europe and the US from spring 2010 according to The Independent.
On display at the Copenhagen summit this week, the B-Class F-Cell is expected to have a range up to 248 miles and a top speed of around 100 mph. The car is run through an electric drive system powered by a fuel cell. A hydrogen fuel tank supplies the fuel cell which generates the electrical power on board. The only emissions are pure water.
According to the national newspaper, the vehicle will also be able to start at temperatures as low as -25°C, traditionally an area of concern with fuel-cells, which as hydrogen vapors are at risk of solidifying below freezing point. The B-Class overcomes this by taking electrical energy from an on-board battery as it warms up in cold temperatures.
Mercedes-Benz will be the second only mainstream carmaker to make a full production fuel cell car, after Honda first made the FCX Clarity, which is currently available for sale or lease in small numbers in the US and Japan.
Hydrogen fuel cell cars have been slow to reach the market, as carmakers are still in the process of developing and refining the technology to run vehicles on the fuel, while a lack of refuelling infrastructure has also hampered its introduction to the roads.
