Mercedes-Benz GLC F-Cell – Top 10 Surprises You May Not Know

Mercedes-Benz GLC F-Cell SUV is a plug-in hybrid fuel cell electric vehicle which is in pre-production and will be the first of its kind when it rolls out commercially in the summer of 2018.

Here are the top 10 items you may not know about this vehicle:

1. Both the fuel cell and large rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack will drive the electric motor for a combined 147 kW (200 hp) and a torque of 350 Nm.
2. The fuel cell offers 40-percent more output while being 30-percent more compact than the Mercedes B-Class F-CELL.
3. The use of platinum in the fuel cell has been reduced 90-percent.
4. The fuel cell stack was developed in cooperation with Ford Motor Company in their Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation (AFCC) joint venture.
5. The lithium-ion batteries are stored at the rear of the vehicle and can be charged using home wall socket or public charger in 1.5 hours for full capacity.
6. The carbon fiber tanks hold 4.4 kg of 10,000 psi compressed hydrogen gas and the vehicle can be refueled in 3 minutes.
7. The vehicle uses 4 modes for efficient use of resources between the fuel cell and battery pack include Hybrid Mode, F-Cell Mode, Battery Mode and Charge Mode.
8. The hydrogen and electrical components conform to the Real Life Safety philosophy for added safety in the event of a crash.
9. Drive programs will include ECO (low consumption), COMFORT (self-explanatory) and SPORT (performance).
10. Top speed is 99 mph (electronically limited)

So, there you have it. Mercedes-Benz has decided to combine the best of fuel cell technology with the best in class of plug-in battery technology.

On August 01, 2006, I had called for fuel cell plug-in hybrid technology to be developed, so it is great to see that this vision is becoming a reality in the not so distant future.

References

https://www.daimler.com/innovation/specials/iaa-2017/glc-fcell-2.html

https://media.mbusa.com/releases/release-80848dccd3f3680a764667ad5318497e-glc-f-cell-goes-into-preproduction-worlds-first-electric-vehicle-with-fuel-cellbatte

http://www.hydrogencarsnow.com/index.php/hydrogen-cars/plug-in-hybrid-electric-hydrogen-vehicles-starting-down-path/

http://www.hydrogencarsnow.com/index.php/mercedes-benz-glc-f-cell/

https://insideevs.com/mercedes-benz-glc-f-cell-first-plug-in-fcv-production-starts-in-2017/

https://youtu.be/Bd8GeVbUgCw