The future is already here - plug-in hybrid with hydrogen

It feels just like a regular electric vehicle to run. The electric motor runs quiet and offers the typical strong torque. GLC-the interior is as usual spacious and the boot lastvilligt.

a standard electric car has a big advantage. The battery will be rarely empty. I can run over 50 miles before I need to fill in. And then we come to the real beauty of it. I must not run from the way, scrounge up a charging station in a shopping mall, and may meet with a Renault Zoe stands and loads in half-an-hour.

Provbilen have a fuel cell under the hood and two spacious vätgastankar in the back seat. The refuelling of hydrogen takes three minutes, then I have reached the age of 4.4 kg of hydrogen. It is sufficient for the fuel cell to produce electricity to the battery which is good for another 47 mile run.

Sim-sala-bim: the Electric car has become långreseduglig.

Provbilen have a fuel cell under the hood and two spacious vätgastankar in the back seat. Photo: Mikael Stjerna.

Räckvidddsångesten is gone, but replaced, of course, of a vätgastankningsångest. Any infrastructure with vätgasmackar are not yet, but if it goes as vätgasförespråkarna hope it is only a matter of time before the network is well-developed.

GLC F-Cell, the car is called, shows how far the development of fuel cells has come. It has been in the shadow of the batteribilen. Twenty years ago, filled bränslecellstacken cargo space in a small van. In the day to get place with the under the hood of a standard GLC and can even use the same engine mounts. Mercedes has also been able to reduce costs by reducing the amount of platinum by 90%.

One of the downsides with hydrogen is that the energy efficiency is lower compared with nätladdad electric drive. Using electricity to produce hydrogen through a fuel cell to return to the el gives systemförluster.

with the plug-in hybrid comes into its own. Provbilen has the same battery as laddhybriden GLC 350 e. A net capacity of 9.3 kWh gives a range of three to four miles in real traffic. It is enough for most of my kortkörningar in vardagstrafik. Statistics show that the majority of motorists drive less than three miles per day, and thus, a majority of the mileage nätladdad. On longer trips take the gas at. Top speed is limited to 160 km/h.

the Technology comes around the disadvantage, as today's phevs are drawn with, they are dependent on the petrol or diesel when the electricity in the battery runs out. Mercedes GLC F-Cell is powered by something other than the electric motor. The only thing that varies is the source of electric power. And the only thing that comes out of the tailpipe is water vapor.

depends on how it is produced. Produced hydrogen with the electricity produced in coal-fired power stations is, of course, the environmental benefit is debatable. (It also applies to the electric drive with nätladdning). In the best case, hydrogen from renewable energy sources, such as solar energy.

Mercedes GLC F-Cell in a first stage, to be sold to selected customers in Japan and Germany, the countries where the infrastructure for hydrogen has come the furthest.

In Japan bet big on hydrogen for the OLYMPICS in Tokyo in 2020. Corresponded initiatives are planned in China in preparation for the winter OLYMPICS 2022.

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