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LOS ANGELES, California - For more than two years Hollywood stars Diane Kruger and Joshua Jackson have been driving a Mercede B-Class F-Cell, a hydrogen-powered car that produces water vapour instead of C02 and other noxious stuff at its exhaust.
Now the couple have produced a film to show the potential of the fuel-cell drive during a trip through California's Death Valley, one of the driest and hottest places on Earth.
IMAGE GALLERY: Defying Death Valley
VIDEO: Defying Death Valley
In ‘Defying Death Valley’ they drove in temperatures reaching 50C but didn't take any bottled water. Instead, they carried a reception tank to collect the condensing water vapour from the exhaust pipe. It was used for cooking and drinking.
Mercedes' global communications Madeleine Herdlitschka explained: "The B-Class F-Cell emits about nine litres of water vapour per kilogram of hydrogen used while driving. The car has a hydrogen capacity of about 3.7kg, sufficient for 400km."
Kruger said: "We've become absolute fans of the fuel cell. The car is so easy to use. On a day-to-day basis our normal mobility isn't restricted at all - and we had no water problems in Death Valley."
FIRST IN SERIES PRODUCTION
Jackson added: "It takes three minutes to fill, drives about 400km and gives off zero emissions - simply perfect."
About 200 have been sold in the US and Europe since 2010, one of which claims to have covered 315 000km. This B-Class is Merc’s first fuel-cell electric vehicle in series production. Electricity is generated by the chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen.
During the 2011 Mercedes-Benz F-Cell World Drive, three B-Class F-Cell vehicles took 125 days to drive 30 000 km through 14 countries and across four continents. Jackson was one of the drivers.
Since 2001, Mercedes has created for testing 200 B-Class and 60 A-Class F-Cell vehicles as well as three hybrid Sprinter vans and almost 60 buses. They have in total covered about nine million kilometres.
In 2013, in a bid to speedwidespread market availability of F-Cell vehicles, Daimler, Ford and Nissan reached a co-operation agreement covering the joint development of a fuel-cell system.
The intent is to introduce a competitive fuel-cell vehicle by 2017. Daimler hopes to expand Germany’s current network of 15 hydrogen filling stations to about 400 by 2023.
Now the couple have produced a film to show the potential of the fuel-cell drive during a trip through California's Death Valley, one of the driest and hottest places on Earth.
IMAGE GALLERY: Defying Death Valley
VIDEO: Defying Death Valley
In ‘Defying Death Valley’ they drove in temperatures reaching 50C but didn't take any bottled water. Instead, they carried a reception tank to collect the condensing water vapour from the exhaust pipe. It was used for cooking and drinking.
Mercedes' global communications Madeleine Herdlitschka explained: "The B-Class F-Cell emits about nine litres of water vapour per kilogram of hydrogen used while driving. The car has a hydrogen capacity of about 3.7kg, sufficient for 400km."
Kruger said: "We've become absolute fans of the fuel cell. The car is so easy to use. On a day-to-day basis our normal mobility isn't restricted at all - and we had no water problems in Death Valley."
FIRST IN SERIES PRODUCTION
Jackson added: "It takes three minutes to fill, drives about 400km and gives off zero emissions - simply perfect."
About 200 have been sold in the US and Europe since 2010, one of which claims to have covered 315 000km. This B-Class is Merc’s first fuel-cell electric vehicle in series production. Electricity is generated by the chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen.
During the 2011 Mercedes-Benz F-Cell World Drive, three B-Class F-Cell vehicles took 125 days to drive 30 000 km through 14 countries and across four continents. Jackson was one of the drivers.
Since 2001, Mercedes has created for testing 200 B-Class and 60 A-Class F-Cell vehicles as well as three hybrid Sprinter vans and almost 60 buses. They have in total covered about nine million kilometres.
In 2013, in a bid to speedwidespread market availability of F-Cell vehicles, Daimler, Ford and Nissan reached a co-operation agreement covering the joint development of a fuel-cell system.
The intent is to introduce a competitive fuel-cell vehicle by 2017. Daimler hopes to expand Germany’s current network of 15 hydrogen filling stations to about 400 by 2023.
