Published May 25, 2012
By Philippe Crowe
The Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL is the best electric car with fuel cell - this is the result of an online survey completed by 18,324 readers of specialist magazines "Auto Bild" and "Auto Test."
The B-Class F-CELL is the first passenger car with fuel cell drive to be produced by Mercedes-Benz under series conditions. Production of the model has already been under way since 2009. The vehicle generates the power for its electric drive itself on-board from the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. Its tank can be filled with hydrogen in three minutes, providing a range of some 248 miles. And thanks to its 100 kilowatt (136 hp) electric motor, it provides driving pleasure and dynamism on a par with a 2.0-litre gas engine. The vehicle's NEDC consumption amounts to just 71 mpg (diesel equivalent). At the same time it produces no emissions whatsoever: the only thing to come out of its exhaust is pure water.
This zero-emission principle, paired with impressive performance characteristics, convinced the readers of the specialist German magazines "Auto Bild" and "Auto Test" to vote the Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL into first place in the category "Best electric vehicle with fuel cell", thus enabling it to secure the eCar Award 2012.