Mercedes Creates World’s First Plug-In Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle

Mercedes, long a pioneer in experimenting with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, plans to release the first plug-in fuel cell car next year.

The Mercedes GLC F-Cell will be the company’s first production fuel cell vehicle. The car’s fuel cell, which fits entirely in the engine compartment, uses hydrogen to produce the electricity that powers the car’s two-wheel drivetrain, according to Car and Driver.

In addition to hydrogen fuel, the engine would also be supplemented with an on-board, 35 kW battery pack that can be recharged simply by plugging it in. The battery pack and fuel cell would give the car a range of approximately 310 miles, according to the company’s website.

The GLC F-Cell would be the first production vehicle to combine these two green technologies, effectively breaking the long streak of technological limitations.

The hydrogen would be stored in two tanks located underneath the car. Mercedes says that refueling the tanks from empty would take around three minutes. The car — and, by extension, all fuel cell vehicles — would produce nothing except water vapor.

Vehicles powered by hydrogen have long been a small niche within the automobile market. Several companies, such as Honda and Toyota, have experimented with the technology, but the current market hasn’t seen an influx of interest in fuel cell vehicles.

A caveat is that most people don’t live near easily available hydrogen refueling stations. Mercedes notes this on their website by saying that a network of fueling stations must be established in order to make hydrogen-powered vehicles a reality.