The fuel cell plug-in hybrid Mercedes-Benz GLC F-CELL has successfully passed its 360° environmental check. The results have been comprehensively verified by the TÜV Süd technical service. The environmental check is based on an eco-balance in which the environmental effects of the car are examined over the entire lifecycle.
Thanks to emission-free driving, electric vehicles can compensate for a large part of the additional CO2 emissions they initially cause. If it is possible to operate electric vehicles using only renewable energy, the CO2 emissions over the entire lifecycle fall by 70 percent compared with combustion-engine vehicles.
Different CO2 scenarios depending on the power and hydrogen source
As in all electric vehicles, how the necessary power is generated is also the decisive factor for the Mercedes-Benz GLC F‑C ELL: 100 percent renewable, e.g. hydroelectric power, or e.g. in the EU power mix. The same question arises with respect to the generation of hydrogen: the scenarios considered in the eco-balance are reformation from natural gas, the so-called H2 mobility scenario (50 % regenerative, 50 % from natural gas), and 100 percent generation of hydrogen from electrolysis using hydroelectric power.
Clear objective: further reduction in the use of primary raw materials
The aim of Daimler AG is to reduce the use of primary raw materials for the powertrain and battery technology by 40 percent by 2030. Apart from the economical use of resources, the reconditioning of components and the recycling of the raw materials used play an important role as well.
Advances in lithium-ion battery technology will further contribute to this reduction: Energy density will be further increased, while batteries will become increasingly lighter in weight. The materials composition will change, and materials such as cobalt will be replaced by nickel.
The GLC F-CELL: fuel cell vehicle as a plug-in hybrid
The Mercedes-Benz GLC F-CELL is unique worldwide, as it features both fuel cells and a battery drive which can be charged externally using plug-in technology. Apart from electricity, it also runs on pure hydrogen. This has a number of advantages:
The lithium-ion battery has a gross capacity of 13.5 kWh and serves as an additional energy source for the electric motor. Plug-in technology makes it easy to charge via the 7.4 kW on-board charger at a standard household socket, a wallbox or a public charging station – from 10 to 100 percent SoC (State of Charge) in approx. 1.5 hours if the full power is used. Just like the drive motor, an asynchronous motor with an output of 155 kW (211 hp) and a torque of 365 Nm, the powerful storage battery is space-savingly installed in the rear of the SUV.
Tags: Mercedes-Benz-GLC-F-CELL
