Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL

The environmentally friendly electric car has performance similar to a 2.0-litre petrol car and is fully suited for everyday driving. The zero emission drive system consumes the equivalent of 3.3-litres of diesel per 100 kms in the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle). Production of the B-Class F-CELL will commence in late 2009 with an initial small volume. The first of around 200 vehicles will be delivered in early 2010.

Customers will not have to sacrifice any driving pleasure either, because the electric motor has a peak performance of 100 kW and a maximum torque of 290 Nm, which is available from the first rotation. It ensures that the B-Class F-CELL, whose impressive dynamic handling properties are in some cases far better than those of a two-litre petrol car, gets off to an excellent start.

Despite these qualities, the zero emission fuel cell drive consumes the equivalent of only 3.3-litres of diesel fuel per 100 kilometres. Thanks to its great range of about 400 kilometres and short refuelling times of around three minutes, the B-Class F-CELL ensures local zero emission mobility even for long stretches.

The vehicle's technological heart is the new generation of the compact, high performance fuel cell system, in which gaseous hydrogen reacts with atmospheric oxygen at 700 bar to generate a current for the electric motor. The fuel cell system of the B-Class F-CELL has a very good cold start capability even at temperatures as low as minus 25C.