Mercedes Benz B-Klasse F-Cell Comes Stateside

German manufacturer Daimler announced its plans to bring the B-Klasse F-Cell to the US, sometime in 2010. The number of vehicles to be brought into the country is limited at about 100 and most of them will head for California. Not because it's sunnier, but because that's were hydrogen fueling stations are.

“We are going into a small volume production and at least half will go to the United States as fast as they have enough infrastructure,” Thomas Weber, Daimler board member was quoted as saying by Autonews. “They will go to private customers.”

The B-Klasse achieves performances similar to the ones of a 2.0l engined vehicle. Its power comes from a combined electric motor and a new generation fuel cell system. The electric motor develops 136 hp and a maximum torque of 290 Nm, available from the first rotation. It draws power from a lithium-ion battery with an output of 35 kW and a capacity of 1.4 kWh. The battery provides a total range of 385 km (240 miles).

The system through which the B-Klasse will be marketed in the US has not been yet established, but Daimler says it will most definitely be leased, not sold. The car is not being considered for sale in the US for at least three years, mostly due to the lack of infrastructure.

The latest hydrogen refueling station to be added to the US grid is based in Newport Beach, California, the first high-pressure fueling station aimed at private consumers in the state.