Fuel cell vehicles have started to pick up a little steam with the introduction of the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell and Toyota Mirai, but they are still no where near as popular as a regular electric car. Well Mercedes-Benz may have just made the fuel cell vehicle a little more desirable with the introduction of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC F-Cell, which combines a fuel cell powertrain with a fully electric powertrain, that can either run on hydrogen or be plugged in.
The GLC F-Cell represents a world first in which a fuel-cell-operated electric car uses a lithium-ion battery as an additional energy source that can be externally charged. Compared with the B-Class F-CELL, the drive system offers around 40 percent more output. The fuel-cell system is also 30 percent more compact than before, which allowed for the entire system to be housed entirely in the engine compartment and installed on the usual mounting points like a conventional engine.
The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC F-Cell is powered by an electric motor with 197 horsepower and 258 lb-ft. of torque. The motor is powered by a 13.8 kWh lithium-ion battery and two carbon-fiber-encased tanks that hold around 4.4 kg of hydrogen. The GLC F-Cell can travel up to 30 miles using only the lithium-ion battery or 272 miles using hydrogen.
Although Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the F-Cell now, we’ll have to wait until the end of 2019 to get it.
Source: Mercedes-Benz
