Photo: Mercedes-Benz
When it comes to alternative power solutions, Mercedes-Benz is currently fighting at both ends by announcing its first purpose-built electric vehicle as well as this fuel cell plug-in hybrid based on the GLC compact-sized SUV.
The pure EV is said to be conceived as a direct competitor to Tesla's Model X and we should get a preview this October, when the Paris Auto Show starts. It launch date hasn't yet been set, but Mercedes-Benz officials say it's in the road testing phase and it will come "by the end of this decade."
Fuel cell, on the other hand, has long been on Mercedes-Benz's radar, but just as with the EVs, the company never really built a car designed from the ground up for this propulsion system. The GLC F-CELL won't change that, but it will be the first one to demonstrate the advancements made in this field.
It'll also mark another world first: the use of a nine kWh lithium-ion battery pack that can be charged from the grid, further enhancing the car's eco-credentials. According to Mercedes-Benz, the GLC F-CELL will have a combined range of around 500 km (310 miles) in the NEDC. 50 (31 miles) of these 500 kilometers can be covered using solely the power provided by the battery, which means the GLC could be used as a regular EV by those whose daily commutes are within this limit.
Daimler has devised an all-new fuel cell system that is roughly 30 percent more compact than before, which means that all of it can be placed in the engine bay for the first time. The two carbon fiber tanks are built into the vehicle's floor and take up to four kilograms of liquid hydrogen. They time required to fill them up at a hydrogen filling station is estimated at around three minutes, which is a far cry from any EV's charging time.
However, not everybody is on board with using liquid hydrogen as fuel, and so fuel cell cars sure have their (admittedly partial) detractors. In the end, the winning solution won't be the best one, but the one supported by the most companies and governments. For the moment, it's hard to predict a winner, but Mercedes-Benz is playing it safe by covering itself no matter what.
Fuel cell, on the other hand, has long been on Mercedes-Benz's radar, but just as with the EVs, the company never really built a car designed from the ground up for this propulsion system. The GLC F-CELL won't change that, but it will be the first one to demonstrate the advancements made in this field.
It'll also mark another world first: the use of a nine kWh lithium-ion battery pack that can be charged from the grid, further enhancing the car's eco-credentials. According to Mercedes-Benz, the GLC F-CELL will have a combined range of around 500 km (310 miles) in the NEDC. 50 (31 miles) of these 500 kilometers can be covered using solely the power provided by the battery, which means the GLC could be used as a regular EV by those whose daily commutes are within this limit.
Daimler has devised an all-new fuel cell system that is roughly 30 percent more compact than before, which means that all of it can be placed in the engine bay for the first time. The two carbon fiber tanks are built into the vehicle's floor and take up to four kilograms of liquid hydrogen. They time required to fill them up at a hydrogen filling station is estimated at around three minutes, which is a far cry from any EV's charging time.
However, not everybody is on board with using liquid hydrogen as fuel, and so fuel cell cars sure have their (admittedly partial) detractors. In the end, the winning solution won't be the best one, but the one supported by the most companies and governments. For the moment, it's hard to predict a winner, but Mercedes-Benz is playing it safe by covering itself no matter what.
Google News