Mercedes-Benz to launch world first plug-in fuel cell car

Mercedes-Benz will launch an electric vehicle with fuel cell and a lithium-ion battery next year, according to a company release.

The Mercedes-Benz GLC F-Cell features a powerful battery that allows it to run for up to 50 kilometers and can be charged at a household socket, a Mercedes-Benz wall box or a public charging station. Its tank can be refilled at a hydrogen filling station within just three minutes. In total, the GLC F-CELL can run approximately 500 kilometers before needing to be recharged or refueled.

“In addition to hybridized vehicle models and vehicles powered by fuel cells, we are now taking the next step and using a dedicated vehicle architecture for purely battery-driven vehicles,” said Prof. Dr Thomas Weber, Member of the Daimler Board of Management, Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development.

Electromobility plays an important part in Daimler’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions, which is a top priority for Mercedes-Benz’s parent company.

More than half of the company's 14.5 billion-euro investment in research and development in the next two years will be spent on ‘green’ technologies.