F-Cell World Drive Reaches Europe

More miles than we can count, an incredible achievement and, above all, proof that hydrogen-powered cars can be a viable solution for the future. This is what the Mercedes-Benz F-Cell World Drive managed to achieve these past few months, after traveling through almost every continent on the planet.

Following the incident in Kazakhstan which left the Number 3 car impaired for the remainder of the trip, the two remaining B-Klasse models equipped with the fuel cell power train entered Europe this week and, at the same time, the final leg of a journey which in the end would span for 125 days and would have covered 30,000 kilometers (18,700 miles). The tour will end in Stuttgart on 1 June.

The F-Cell models sent on this trip are powered by a fuel cell system which comprises a 136 hp electric motor (290 Nm of torque) with cold-start capability. The model is capable of reaching 250 miles (400 km) before refueling with hydrogen.

During the trip, the three cars refueled wherever they could, the biggest challenges surfacing in the US of all places. The lack of a proper infrastructure is the main reason why these vehicles will catch on harder than regular EVs or PHEVs. According to a study conducted by Pike Research fuel cell vehicles will not sell more than 10,000 units by the middle of the decade.

In 2015, Pike says 57,000 FCVs will be sold and, following that year, the market would grow to a total of 390,000 vehicles annually. The first million fuel cell vehicles will not be sold before 2020.