B-Class F-CELL

B-Class F-Cell: The first fuel cell production car

The first series-produced car equipped with the silent and emission-free fuel cell drive system will take things a step further when it hits the market in the summer of 2010. The fuel cell in the B-Class F-Cell uses hydrogen to produce the electricity that powers the vehicle’s motor, which delivers a maximum output of 100 kW (136 hp) and a maximum torque of 320 Nm.

“Driving a fuel cell car is really fun,” says Kohler. “It’s also very sporty because the electric motor provides full power practically from the word go.” Despite this high performance, the emission-free fuel cell drive of this family-friendly compact car consumes the energy equivalent of only 2.9 liters of diesel fuel per 100 km, corresponding to a fuel efficiency of 81.1 miles per gallon. Test drives at the Arctic Circle have also demonstrated the cold-start capability – a previous weak spot – of the new generation of fuel cells.