As Germany attempts to further its position as one of the world leaders in hydrogen and fuel cell technology, Mercedes-Benz has delivered a B-Class F-CELL vehicle to its Federal Ministry of Transport.
According to Federal Minister for Transport Peter Ramsauer, promoting electric mobility is important to the country not only with cars powered by batteries but also with those that rely on hydrogen and fuel cells. On longer routes, he believes that fuel cells present an interesting option.
The Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL includes a 100kW/136hp electric motor that delivers 290Nm of torque and achieves the equivalent of 71.3mpg.
A representative customer group has been chosen consisting of fleet operators, public figures, private customers and public institutions to collect market research data on the vehicle. By 2012 around 90 B-Class F-CELL vehicles will be introduced into the German market; with the vehicle also to be put into practice in the USA as well.
The German Federal Ministry of Transport is supporting research and development into fuel cells as part of the National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Innovation Programme with investment currently at €500million.
