Mercedes GLC F-Cell is world's first plug-in fuel cell

Mercedes-Benz has announced deliveries of its Mercedes GLC F-Cell SUV in Germany, claiming the small SUV is the world's first plug-in hydrogen car.

Initially, the sales will be targeted at large fleet buyers like the German railways and fuel companies but other small companies and private buyers will be able to lease the Mercedes GLC F-Cell from early 2019.

Featuring what Mercedes claims is a unique plug-in hybrid powertrain that can also run on hydrogen, the Mercedes GLC F-Cell emits zero CO2, with the only tailpipe emission being water vapour.

According to the car-maker, the powertrain consists of twin-carbon-fibre encased tanks that can hold 4.4kg of hydrogen. This, says Mercedes, is enough to give the GLC a hydrogen-only range of up to 430km.

Factor in the pure-electric capability and the GLC can, in total, travel 498km in hybrid mode before re-fuelling.

The advantage of the hybrid system is the relatively small 13.5kWh lithium ion cell can charge from 10 per cent to a full charge in just 1.5 hours.

The single motor, meanwhile, produces 155kW of power -- although Mercedes has not released performance figures.

Instead, the German car-maker says the GLC F-Cell can be driven in one of four different operating modes.

The first is a HYBRID setting that blends both the pure-electric power and the hydrogen fuel cell for optimum efficiency.

The next is F-CELL, that sees the fuel cell maintain the charge of the high-voltage battery using only the energy from compressed hydrogen. This setting is said to be best for steady cruising on the highway.

A BATTERY mode, meanwhile, powers the electric motor only using the on-board lithium ion batteries and is said to be most efficient for short commutes of less than 51km.

Finally, a CHARGE mode feeds electricity directly to the battery when needed.

In Germany, the hydrogen network has only just begun expanding with hydrogen filling stations opening in Stuttgart, Dusseldorf, Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Munich and Cologne.

It's highly unlikely Mercedes Australia is considering importing the new zero emission GLC F-Cell until a thorough network of both charging points and hydrogen filling stations are established.