The three intrepid Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-Cell cars have returned home following the successful completion of their round the world trip. It’s the first time that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have travelled across the globe-a shortage of refuelling infrastructure being one of the main hurdles.
Setting off from Mercedes-Benz-and parent firm Daimler’s- headquarters back in January, the three vehicles have driven 30,000km through Europe, the Americas and Asia before returning back home in Stuttgart, Germany on Wednesday (June 1).
Daimler used the arrival to announce that the Stuttgart car manufacturer together with Linde AG is to build 20 hydrogen filling stations in Germany by 2013 (see story). In addition Mercedes-Benz will start mass production of its B-Class F-CELLs in 2014-one year earlier than expected.
Hundreds of people cheered when the drive finally arrived at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.
Daimler CEO and Head of Mercedes Car Group Dr. Dieter Zetsche greeted the world drivers and congratulated them to their success.
Daimler undertook the drive to celebrate its invention of the motor car 125 years ago and to prove that fuel cell vehicles is ready to use today.
The F-Cell vehicles have a range of up to 250 miles and can be refilled with hydrogen within 3 minutes. However a hydrogen-filling infrastructure is not yet in place. Therefore the F-CELL World Drive travelled with a mobile filling station and hydrogen provided by its partner Linde, to overcome the infrastructure issue.
