Mercedes B-class fuel cell vehicle draws near

MERCEDES-BENZ is on track to begin “small series” production of a fuel cell vehicle based on the B-class in 2010, revealing last week that it had achieved an extended hydrogen fuel range of up to 400km for the zero-emissions compact car.

The improvement was realised when Daimler engineers upgraded its fuel cell development fleet – which also includes the A-class – with hydrogen storage tanks using 700 bar pressure (up from 350 bar).

Left: Mercedes Benz B-class FCV and F600 Hygenius .

According to Daimler, the more highly compressed hydrogen extends the operating range of the vehicles by up to 70 per cent.

For the current-generation A-class FCV, this translates from 160km to about 270km per tank filling, while the forthcoming new-generation B-class has had its range extended to around 400km.

Using technology first presented with the F600 Hygenius research vehicle in 2005, the all-new B-class FCV has a more compact and more efficient fuel cell drive system that is 40 per cent smaller but develops 30 per cent more power (to 100kW) and cuts fuel consumption by 16 per cent (to 2.9L/100km). Maximum torque for the electric motor is 320Nm.

“These fuel cell vehicles can travel as far as automobiles with an internal combustion engine and are thus entirely suitable for everyday operation,” said Daimler AG’s vice-president of group research and advanced engineering (body and powertrain), Herbert Kohler.

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