Driving the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Mercedes | EVS26

photo by Ulrich Standish

At EVS26, there is ample opportunity to test drive all the latest electric cars (and some bicycles!) except the Tesla and Fisker, which were only present for ogling or sitting in the drivers seat and dreaming. My photographer and wheelchair pusher Ulrich Standish took Mercedes’ Fuel Cell EV for a spin around the block. I found it very handicap-friendly, but still would much rather have taken the Mission Motors motorcycle for a spin instead, and hope to do so soon. We had the good fortune to have Mercedes’ F-cell Customer Outreach & PR guy Adam Mandel-Senft along with us.

Enjoy our little ride through downtown Los Angeles with commentary by Adam. The car had excellent acceleration, and the electric motor helped give it the smooth, quiet feel one expects from a Mercedes, even in their B class. This Mercedes is only currently available near Hydrogen fueling stations, such as we have in Southern California. The $849 lease (not available for sale) includes all fuel, service, and collision insurance. As Adam explains in the video, they chose the B class because there is a gap between the floor and the base of the car which enables them to load the hydrogen there. Read more about the F-Cell here. While it’s a great idea to be able to refuel quickly, and hydrogen is certainly cleaner than gasoline, this is still a very costly technology. There is also the issue of infrastructure, which Shell is addressing here in Southern California. I found this “where does it come from” article quite informative, considering the source.

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Tags: EVS26, f-cell, fuel cell, hydrogen, hydrogen infrastructure, Mercedes-Benz

About the Author

Susanna Schick Susanna is passionate about anything fast and electric. As long as it's only got two wheels. She covers electric motorcycle racing events, test rides electric motorcycles, and interviews industry leaders. Occasionally she deigns to cover automobile events in Los Angeles for us as well. However, she dreams of a day when Los Angeles' streets resemble the two-wheeled paradise she discovered living in Barcelona and will not rest until she's converted the masses to two-wheeled bliss.