Is the A-Class F-Cell a Harbinger of Things to Come?
Will the hydrogen fuel cell ever become a reality for everyday drivers? That's 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 Singapore's 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 DaimlerChrysler's "Impact on America" symposium in Washington, DC last May, on a makeshift road course set up in the parking lot of the city's FedEx Field, and in so doing grew to like what I found. While I didn't 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 don't 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 Honda's alternative Civic, or smart's 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.
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| I had the opportunity to test a F-Cell as part of DaimlerChrysler's"Impact on America" symposium in Washington, DC last May. (Photo:Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
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 Singapore's 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 DaimlerChrysler's "Impact on America" symposium in Washington, DC last May, on a makeshift road course set up in the parking lot of the city's FedEx Field, and in so doing grew to like what I found. While I didn't have the opportunity to fully stretch its legs,
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| Acceleration is adequate to ramp it up to highway speeds and slightly beyond, but not gut-wrenching. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
But when I say ample oomph, I don't 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 Honda's alternative Civic, or smart's 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.