While there’s a lot happening at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show for Mercedes-Benz, the overall sense that we’re getting from the car maker that it wants to go green. The company revealed its pre-production version of the GLC F-Cell. The GLC-Fuel Cell is the company’s idea of a fuel-cell-powered luxury crossover that an owner can also plug in to charge the drive batteries. This technically makes the GLC a plug-in hybrid with a battery pack instead of an internal combustion engine.
According to the carmaker, the all-electric and the hydrogen fuel cell combination offers a total output of 197 bhp and 350 Nm of torque. The expected range from this car is 437 km and that’s quite a breakthrough we feel in terms of technology. With 4.4 kg of hydrogen on board, in two carbon-fibre tanks, the GLC F-Cell reminds us of the B-Class F-Cell car. Out of the two tanks, one fits in the spot that’s usually for the driveshaft, and the other is under the rear seats. The new technology used in the GLC F-Cell is 30 percent smaller than the one in the B-class F-Cell and makes 40 per cent more power. The production also uses 90 percent less platinum, which in turn reduces costs.
The electric drivetrain is a 13.8-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery which has a 49 km range on a single charge. The drivers can select from these two systems and operate them together by choosing between different settings. There are no changes made to the overall look of the GLC except for the F-Cell badges and blue accents.
Inside, however, the GLC F-Cell features a multifunction touchpad with handwriting recognition and this is the first time we get to see these features in the GLC. Between now and 2022, Daimler intends to bring out ten battery-electric vehicles, globally, with the GLC F-CELL representing an important landmark.
