The vehicle I drove through the streets of Pretoria would, not too long ago, have seemed as science fiction as the DeLorean DMC-12 out of Back to the Future.
Remember, the plutonium-powered, time-travelling car complete with flux capacitor?But the fuel-cell B-Class I drove late last year as part of Mercedes-Benz South Africa’s “Leading Sustainable Mobility” roadshow isn’t just some ambitious concept car. You know, of the sort that other manufacturers regularly trundle out at motor shows, knowing full well that they’re never, ever going to see production.No, this vehicle is actually in series production. What’s more, a trio of these machines recently drove more than 30 000km around the world, providing inarguable proof of the everyday viability of this technology.The car I drove was actually one of these round-the-world machines and to grossly simplify things I was astounded at how much like a “normal” car it drives, handles and behaves.
Essentially the B-Class F-CELL uses hydrogen to run the fuel cell which then charges the lithium-ion battery. This in turn powers an electric motor making some 100kW of power and 290Nm of torque. Comparable to what you’d expect from a fossil-fuel-powered car in this class.Range is in the region of 400km and refueling takes just three minutes, while the three hydrogen tanks are situated between the axles for optimum safety.“We have proven that electric mobility is feasible and has long-since passed the `show car’ stage with our B-Class F-CELL electric car with fuel cell drive and the smart fortwo electric drive – our pioneering battery-powered electric vehicle,” as Dr Martin Zimmermann, president and CEO, Mercedes-Benz South Africa, explained.That the B-Class F-CELL isn’t just a frothy marketing exercise was highlighted when three of the vehicles did a 125-day trip around the world – which took in four continents, fourteen countries and 30 000km, like I said.
Indeed, there’s little that’s not in favour of zero-emission vehicles, which have long been a sort of Holy Grail for automotive engineers the world over.
Consider that they’re environmentally friendly to build and recycle. They’ve got great range – comparable, really, to a “normal” petrol or diesel vehicle. The refuelling times are counted in minutes. And of course their emissions are zero.In annoying marketing-speak, they represent a “win-win” situation. Especially as the world now faces the increasing realisation that, gasp, oil is a finite resource after all, and one whose disgustingly profligate use has resulted in wide-spread environmental havoc.And I sometimes wonder whether in decades to come my grandchildren might say things like, “Grandpa…did you really used to drive a petrol car?”
Little wonder then that Daimler is working towards not only substantially slashing fuel consumption and emissions, but completely and entirely eliminating them in the long run.
There is a fly in the ointment of this zero emissions Arcadia, however: refuelling.
While series production of the B-Class F-CELL started as long ago as 2009, hydrogen fuelling stations remain limited.What’s needed is a network of hydrogen filling stations – and about here it’s interesting to remember that in the very early days of the internal- combustion engine motorists would buy their fuel from chemists, of all places. Now of course fuel stations proliferate.Daimler (Mercedes’ parent company) has however already taken the first step in this direction. At the beginning of September 2009, together with the Federal Ministry of Transport, and partners from the energy sector, it presented a plan for establishing a hydrogen infrastructure in Germany.Meanwhile, at Daimler the electric car has also been developed way beyond the prototype stage, with these being the best suited to inner-city traffic and fuel-cell vehicles to longer distances.The delightful little smart fortwo – with its electric drive – is already in series production, and a drive through the streets of Pretoria rammed home just what an effective city-machine it is. More than 2 000 have already been produced since late 2009, and are being driven in 18 markets.As Dr Zimmermann says, “The smart outstrips potential competitors by far with regard to suitability for everyday use and safety.”The only thing now impeding full-scale production and sales of machines like the B-Class F-CELL and the battery-powered smartfortwo is the universal roll out of charging and refuelling stations. It’s really a case of Daimler having provided the technology – and let’s not forget that it was the inventor the motor car. Now to wait for the rest of the world to catch up…
