2005 Mercedes-Benz A-Class F-Cell FCV Test Drive
Will the hydrogen fuel cell ever become a reality for everyday drivers? Thats a question many concerned about the quality of our environment have asked, hoping that a technology that emits only water vapor can some day populate the highways and byways of the world.
Mercedes-Benz may be that much closer to this goal, however, having reported that its fleet of six long-wheelbase A-Class cars running "F-Cell" hydrogen fuel cells have now been on Singapores roads for an entire year, only part of a fleet of 60 vehicles that have been deployed in international cooperative ventures throughout Europe, the U.S. and Japan, and in so doing have held up well during daily use in extreme heat and humidity.
This comes as good news to me, as I had the opportunity to test one such fuel cell vehicle as part of DaimlerChryslers "Impact on America" symposium in Washington, DC last May, on a makeshift road course set up in the parking lot of the citys FedEx Field, and in so doing grew to like what I found. While I didnt have the opportunity to fully stretch its legs, the A-Class FCV at my disposal was an endearing little subcompact, with a comfortable ride, spacious interior layout and ample oomph off the line.
But when I say ample oomph, I dont mean plenty, as in my cup runneth over with testosterone infused turbodiesel or high-test gasoline V8 power. Rather, it reminded me of other alternative fuel models tested in recent years, from the Ford Focus fuel cell vehicle to low-power hybrids such as Hondas alternative Civic, or smarts 800 cc turbodiesel-powered fortwo city car, being that acceleration is adequate to ramp it up to highway speeds and slightly beyond, but not gut-wrenching by any sense of the imagination.
You want to know the exact acceleration numbers? OK. The cars electric motor has an output of 65 kW, propelling the A-Class F-Cell from 0 to 60 mph in about 16 seconds, 3 to 4 seconds quicker than the diesel-powered smart fortwo now available through Californias ZAP, and goes on to achieve a top speed just shy of 90 mph. As can be seen, such performance makes the F-Cell quite suitable for everyday use, and like a gasoline-electric hybrid doesnt need to be plugged in to recharge its batteries - that task taken care of by the hydrogen fuel cell system.
The A-Class is eerily quiet and FCVs power delivery quite smooth, however, and while motivated by an altogether foreign mechanical device is about as user friendly as I could have hoped for. This is mostly due to a fairly conventional cockpit, at least conventional as far as A-Class models go. The car is not imported by Mercedes-Benz U.S.A., at least not yet, which is a shame as I think it would probably do very well in some states, such as California. It just might be one of the most effective uses of space in the automotive industry, featuring more front and rear legroom than many cars twice its size, plus a very roomy cargo area accessible via a large hatch opening.
The weather during testing was blisteringly hot and to make matters less bearable, stiflingly humid, which is hardly unusual in and around DC this time of year. But such temperatures and air density is no problem for the F-Cell. These extreme weather conditions are the same reasoning behind Mercedes-Benz choosing to test its long-term FCVs in Singapore, important to find out how the cars systems hold up over the long haul. Tropical temperatures, which is the case for Singapore at least, with high humidity levels place greater demand on a fuel cells production of steam emissions, as well as on its cooling systems.
To get technical, the entire cars fuel cell system is integrated within the "sandwich" floor of the long-wheelbase A-Class. Its fuel tanks house compressed hydrogen, at 350 bar, and feed them directly to the fuel cell system, giving the F-Cell a cruising range of about 93 miles - hydrogen consumption is equivalent to 4.2 litres (1.1 gallons) of diesel fuel per 100 km (62 miles).
If you werent aware, and I certainly wasnt prior to a host of DaimlerChrysler engineers expounding the attributes of one of North Americas top-most automotive employers, the automaker undertook the largest trial of fuel cell vehicle of any manufacturer worldwide in 2003. The test includes, as it remains ongoing, more than one hundred cars, vans and buses, used in various climates, hot and cold, around the world.
For instance, UPS is testing fuel cell-equipped Sprinter vans within its U.S. fleet, and 30 fuel cell-powered Mercedes-Benz Citaro city buses are in operation within ten European cities. We were transported from the convention center downtown to the FedEx Field in one of these, and it was as nicely appointed and as capable on highways and byways as any passenger bus Ive had the pleasure of riding in.
Of the models being tested in DCXs worldwide program, the greatest proportion is made up of A-Class F-Cell vehicles, with 60 in use across the U.S., Japan and Singapore, and a total of 230,000 m logged.
Prior to putting the F-Cell into series testing, 1994s NECAR (New Electric Car) pioneered DaimlerChryslers advanced fuel cell technology. This was followed by an amazing twenty fuel cell-equipped concept vehicles. In the A-Class FCV, the fuel cell functions as an on-board electrochemical energy converter for generating energy from hydrogen to power the electric motor, which in turn powers the wheels. Since the early NECAR and early concepts that followed, the drive units size and weight have been reduced considerably, improving performance significantly.
Of course, the greatest challenge that faces putting fuel cell vehicles (FCV) into full-scale production is first, the production of hydrogen fuel at a reasonable price and with as little damage to the environment as possible, and second, the infrastructure needed to get this fuel to refueling stations that also will need to be retrofitted to dispense hydrogen.
While these are hardly small tasks, much money and energy is being spent on a global scale to solve the challenges of such an undertaking.
And I for one hope the various governments, energy companies, fuel cell developers, suppliers and automakers succeed, as a fully functional hydrogen highway system would be an important step towards a greener world.
As I make this statement I thought it apropos to explain that Im hardly the classic environmentalist. While I recycle plastics, bottles, paper products and anything else that is conveniently picked up by our local refuse department, Ive never tied myself to a tree or attempted to stop any whale or seal hunts from occurring. But just the same, Im appreciative of those who have opened my self-centered mind to the need for more sustainable logging practices, less chemicals in our foods and, in the case of the A-Class F-Cell, cars that deliver acceptable performance while reducing the levels of pollutants entering the atmosphere. Clearly, however, there are some who have long been more environmentally aware than I.
"The fuel cell technology gives us the opportunity to bring mobility together with environmental compatibility and so make a major contribution to society, commented Prof. Jürgen Hubbert, a member of the DaimlerChryslers Board of Management with responsibility for the Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and the smart Passenger Car Division, when the first A-Class F-Cells began testing in 2003. "To enable the fuel cell to go on the market in the foreseeable future, most importantly the fuel and infrastructure issues must be clarified in a worldwide initiative, jointly with the political community, the mineral oil industry and the energy sector. But development engineers, too, still face numerous challenges, referring mainly to the further reduction of weight and cost and the improvement of reliability and durability. In this field, manufacturers should cooperate more intensively so as to promote the breakthrough of this key technology."
Mercedes-Benz, due to the breadth of its many consumer and industrial hydrogen-powered vehicles, is a fair step ahead of many of its competitors, a position that should pay off if the hydrogen gamble results in a workable solution to fossil fuels. Heres hoping...