Mercedes-Benz GLC F-CELL to be world’s first plug-in hydrogen hybrid

Mercedes-Benz has announced that the GLC F-CELL is due to be launched in 2017, which will stand as the world’s first plugin hydrogen hybrid.

The move comes as part of the company’s planned €7 billion investment in green technologies over the next two years.

The GLC F-CELL will be unique in the way it pairs both hydrogen and plug-in power. It will feature a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain, which sees energy generated by a fuel cell stack. However, the 9kWh lithium-ion battery will also serve as an additional energy source for the electric motor, which can be charged externally via plug-in technology.

Daimler has said that fuel-cell technology will be an ‘integral part’ of its powertrain strategy moving forward due some ‘obvious’ benefits over battery powered electric vehicles. These include longer operating ranges and shorter refuelling stops, which Daimler believes makes fuel-cell technology suitable for a broad range of possible uses ranging from passenger cars to urban buses.

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