Who thought fuel cell technology had lost the green car race to electrification? Mercedes-Benz certainly doesn’t subscribe to that theory.
The automaker introduced a new B-Class F-CELL fuel-cell powered electric vehicle at the LA Auto Show ahead of releasing it to lease customers before the end of the year – by 2012, a total of 200 will be on the roads in California and Europe.
With an operating range of around 240miles, the B-Class F-CELL is certainly impressive – that’s more than twice the range of the 2004 A-Class F-CELL. At its heart is an optimised, new generation fuel cell system that is 40 per cent smaller than the system in the A-Class F-CELL and manages to generate around 30 per cent more power while consuming 30 per cent less fuel.
Also included is a 136hp electric motor that develops 290Nm of torque from standstill while delivering driving dynamics that are on a par with a two-litre petrol engine. Acceleration from 0-60mph takes just 11.4 seconds, while its top speed is 106mph.
There are three tanks used to store the hydrogen that is used to run the fuel cell at a pressure of 10,150psi. They are hermetically sealed, which prevents hydrogen escaping into the atmosphere even if the vehicle is left to stand for long periods.
The vehicle has already been certified by both the California Air Resources Board and the Environmental Protection Agency with Dr Thomas Weber, a member of the Daimler AG Board of Management, commenting that California is the ideal region for everyday operation of a true zero emission vehicle.
On the back of market research data, Mercedes-Benz has chosen a customer group that consists of fleet operators as well as public figures, public institutions and private customers.
