Fuel cell Benz reaches production

Mercedes-Benz has hammered a stake into the ground for future automotive development. After years of research into the viability of hydrogen fuel cells, the company has made it official; a fuel cell variant of its B-Class will go into series production for sale early in 2010. The company claims that the B-Class F-CELL, as the new model will be known, is a world first.

Following the announcement, the Carsales Network asked local PR man for Mercedes-Benz, David McCarthy, how the German manufacturer could make that claim when Honda has already been supplying the FCX Clarity to consumers in North America.

"The Honda is pretty much hand-assembled," he explained, "Ours runs down a regular production line... It's not 'bespoke' as such."

According to the manufacturer, production of the 'B-Class F-CELL' will initially be restricted to 200 units only and the car will not be sold outside Europe and the USA.

Benz makes the claim for the F-CELL that it offers performance equivalent to that of a 2.0-litre car, requires just three minutes to refuel and can achieve a range of 400km between fills. It will start in an environment as cold as -25 degrees Celsius, so the car is a practical proposition for the real world. But that doesn't necessarily mean the first customers will be Ma and Pa -- especially when hydrogen-refuelling stations are not thick on the ground.

"California has some [hydrogen stations], Germany has some... there's a few in Europe," says McCarthy, "So the initial batch of them will be similar to the electric smart -- in that they'll be leased -- because no matter how much testing you do, you want real-world feedback from people. Similar to what Honda's doing with the Clarity.

"There are hydrogen filling stations -- and they're the areas the car's being sold into. We don't have the infrastructure [here in Australia]."

The fuel cell generates electricity from the recombination of hydrogen and oxygen to form water. It produces zero emissions, other than water vapour. Electric power is channelled from the fuel cell to the wheels via a 100kW electric motor which produces peak torque of 290Nm.

Because the fuel cell can be packaged in different configurations, it offers some packaging advantages that outweigh those of the traditional internal combustion engine. Benz has found a way to accommodate the fuel cell and its paraphernalia within the unconventional 'sandwich' floor construction of the B-Class, maintaining the car's 416-litre luggage capacity and without compromising interior space.

The F-CELL features some of the hallmarks of internal-combustion hybrid-drive vehicles. There's a lithium-ion battery to collect and store electrical power generated by the fuel cell and regenerative braking ensures that the battery remains fully charged.

The F-CELL features the full complement of safety and comfort features normally fitted to conventional B-Class models.

Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at www.carsales.mobi