Unlike the BMW Hydrogen7 and the Honda FCX Clarity, the B-Class F-CELL does not use internal hydrogen combustion within the motor, but rather runs off a technology involving a hydrogen fuel cell powering an electric motor.
The principle was briefly explained as follows: hydrogen gas is compressed to 700 bar, then comes into contact with oxygen through a reactive wall. The combination of the two components provides an electrical current that powers the motor. The process releases two hydrogen atoms per one oxygen atom.
The B-Class F-CELL can travel 385 km on only one tank of hydrogen, which only emits pure water. Meanwhile, it doesn’t sacrifice elements of performance, such as its 100kW motor with 136 horsepower and 214 pounds of torque. The speedometer tops at 170km/h, while the car is capable of optimally function at temperatures of -25 degrees Celsius.
Production of the B-Class F-CELL is set to begin at the end of the last quarter of 2009. Marketing for the model is expected to begin in early 2010 in parts of Europe and the United States (California, Norway, Stuttgart, Hamburg, etc.).