Daimler delivers first fuel cell vehicles in Germany
Mercedes-Benz is handing over the first GLC F-Cell models to selected customers in the German market. These include various ministries, the National Organisation for Hydrogen (NOW) and H2 Mobility as well as Deutsche Bahn.
This year will see Daimler continue the deliveries of their fuel cell cars to companies active in the hydrogen market such as Air Liquide, Shell and Linde as well as to the cities of Stuttgart and Hamburg.
Select private businesses and customers will be able to get their hands on the GLC F-Cell via Mercedes-Benz Rent from spring 2019 only.
Daimler presented the GLC F-Cell for the first time at the IAA 2017. The model is designed as a plug-in hybrid of a different kind. In addition to the fuel cell, there is a buffer battery on board, which can be charged externally just like any electric vehicle.
Due to its high price, it will not be sold, but only leased to customers in large cities in Germany and Japan for 799 euros a month. The so-called full-service rental model covers, among other things, all maintenance and possible repairs as well as a warranty package. So far Mercedes is projecting no more than four-digit figures for the initial production run.
They set the official market launch for 2022. By then however, you may expect a whole range of modular and scalable fuel cell electric vehicles from Mercedes, said Jochen Hermann, Daimler’s chief developer for electric drives about a month ago (we reported). Until then, scalability and cost, obviously, are on top of the developers’ agenda.
Here are the most important technical key points in brief: The SUV’s floor houses two tanks with a capacity of 4.4 kg of hydrogen that can be filled in just three minutes. The H2 range is 430 km according to NEDC, the plug-in battery with a capacity of 13.5 kWh provides an additional 51 km of range. The engine has 155 kW and a torque of 365 Nm.
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