2011 Mercedes-Benz F-Cell World Drive Nearly Home

The F-Cell World Drive is nearly home, having most recenlty crossed Russia & Scandinavia

There are only a few hours left for the three neon green Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-Cell’s that took a journey around the world. The F-CELL World Tour is scheduled to arrive in Stuttgart on June 1st to what we can only imagine will be one hell of a welcome home party. If you’re interested in celebrating their return, head to the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart at 3 pm June 1st.

If you are unfamiliar with the F-CELL World Drive and the B-Class F-Cell powered electric cars, they are an example of how developing a technology can also be in harmony with nature. The goal for future mobility is to eliminate Co2 emissions and the F-Cell showcases a technology that has the potential to make this possible.

Recap of F-CELL World Drive legs 24-27:

After a 9000-kilometre journey through China and Kazakhstan and some 25,000 locally emissions-free kilometres covered, our three fuel-cell vehicles crossed the final continental boundary of the tour on 15 May 2011: the 107th day of the F-CELL World Drive saw the tour head from Chelyabinsk to Ufa in Russia, and from there back to Europe, marking the successful crossing of the fourth continent of the journey, Asia. Just five countries remain for participants over the final 5000-kilometre leg of the tour, which is scheduled to finally return to Stuttgart on 1 June after 125 days.

Our three B-Class F-CELL vehicles are expected to cover more than 3000 kilometres on their journey through Russia before crossing into Finland on 23 May, and then on to the home straight via Scandinavia. The first stage on Russian soil, which leads from Chelyabinsk to the capital Moscow over four days, brings the tour back to Europe.

Mercedes-Benz F-CELL World Drive in Europe – Leg 24: From Moscow to St. Petersburg

From the Russian capital Moscow, the F-CELL World Drive starts on its 24th leg on May 20. During three days, the vehicles travel 800 kilometers to St. Petersburg. One day before, local media took the opportunity to test drive the locally emission-free B-Class F-CELL in Moscow.

Mercedes-Benz F-CELL World Drive in Europe – Leg 25: From St. Petersburg to Helsinki

On May 23, the F-CELL World Drive embarks on one of the shortest legs of the world tour: the one-day trip leads the participants from St. Petersburg in Russia into the finish capital Helsinki, thereby covering 450 kilometers. The journey then will continue from Helsinki to Stockholm via ferry.

Mercedes-Benz F-CELL World Drive in Europe – Leg 26: From Stockholm to Oslo

From Stockholm in Sweden, the tour embarks on a 550 kilometers-journey to the neighbouring country Norway, to Oslo. The interest in fuel cell technology there is great: After Germany and the USA, Norway will be the third market where the B-Class F-CELL will be introduced. Also, on May 27, representatives of the local media have the opportunity to learn about fuel cell technology in Oslo.

Mercedes-Benz F-CELL World Drive in Europe – Leg 27: From Oslo to Hamburg

On May 28 the F-CELL World Drive embarks on a two-day trip, leading it towards its destination Germany, where the tour departed from in January. From Oslo in Norway via Malmö in Sweden the route leads to Hamburg. The vehicles thereby cover a distance of 1.200 Kilometer in four countries. Before the beginning of this leg, media representatives in Oslo took the chance of a press event to learn about the emission-free fuel cell technology, which will soon be available in Norway.

Update: 06/01/2011

Mercedes-Benz F-CELL World Drive in Europe – Leg 28: From Hamburg to Stuttgart

On May 30, the fuel cell vehicles will embark on the last leg of the F-CELL World Drive, leading them from Hamburg via Berlin and Nuremberg to the Mercedes-Benz Headquarters in Stuttgart. About XXX guests will then welcome the convoy after its 125-day trip in the course of a festivity, taking place in the Mercedes-Benz Museum. Furthermore, the Stuttgart-based automotive manufacturer hosts events in Hamburg, Berlin and Nuremberg in order to draw attention to the potential of fuel cell technology and the need for a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure.

Mercedes-Benz F-Cell World Drive Headed Through Asia

During the F-CELL World Drive, three Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL cars are journeying through 14 countries on 4 continents

On April 22, the F-CELL World Drive departed from the Auto Shanghai show in China for the last and longest leg of its round-the-world tour. From Shanghai the route takes the bright green F-Cell’s through Kazakhstan and Russia on their way back to Europe, where the tour began in January. In 41 days the three fuel cell powered B-Class F-CELL cars will cover around 14,000 kilometres on this final leg. The F-CELL World Drive was one of the highlights of the show in Shanghai. Before starting off from China the cars already absolved around 5,300 kilometres in Australia, and were transported to Asia by air for the last time of the tour. Previously the tour had successfully covered southern Europe and North America.

Since 30 January, the start of the F-CELL World Drive, these “green” fuel cell cars have gained worldwide attention. In addition to the world premiere of the “Concept A-Class” and the Chinese premieres of the new C-Class, the SLK and the CLS, they will also be highlights of the Auto Shanghai show.

The Auto Shanghai show also illustrates the high level of interest in fuel cell technology in China. An emission-free mobility solution also makes good sense in view of the high levels of fine dust pollution in Chinese cities, as well as the fast-growing number of car owners. Moreover, China is one of the most important markets for Mercedes-Benz, and also has great potential with respect to battery-powered electric vehicles.

F-CELL World Drive begins its homeward journey

Within 41 days the F-CELL World Drive will be crossing two continents and seven countries on the last leg of its journey. This means that the “green” B-Class F-CELL cars will not only capture attention in China, but also in Kazakhstan, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Germany. Local events in these various countries will ensure that fuel cell technology makes a lasting impression. In early June the tour will reach its starting and finishing point in Stuttgart.

The F-CELL World Drive not only passes through the major cities, but also through remote areas of the individual countries concerned. Accordingly the tour is also confronted with the challenge of unfamiliar road conditions and an inadequate supply infrastructure. To an even greater extent than before, the final leg of the journey will require an anticipatory style of driving – and this also applies to the vehicles with conventional internal combustion engines. Moreover, the backup navigation unit provided has no map material for Kazakhstan, therefore the participants must pay even more attention here. Just in case, maps of the countries concerned will be carried in each vehicle.

From Sydney to Perth: F-CELL World Drive crosses Australia

In Australia too, the tour was able to make acquaintance with remote regions when the F-CELL World Drive crossed southern Australia from Sydney to Perth between 29 March and 9 April, covering more than 5300 kilometres. In Adelaide the participants were able to celebrate the “half-way mark” of the 125-day tour. Previously the vehicles had crossed southern Europe and the USA, successfully covering a total of around 11,000 kilometres. In every city the F-CELL World Drive was given a hearty welcome.

Mercedes-Benz F-CELL World Drive

During the F-CELL World Drive, three Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL cars are journeying through 14 countries on 4 continents – once around the globe. This round-the-world tour organised by Mercedes-Benz started off in Stuttgart on 30 January 2011, and will take 125 days – marking the 125th anniversary of the automobile – until the cars arrive back in Stuttgart in early June after covering 30,000 kilometres. The aim is to demonstrate the technical maturity and day-to-day suitability of fuel cell powered electric cars, and also to draw attention to the need for a widespread hydrogen infrastructure. The company is being assisted with the hydrogen supply for the tour by Linde AG.

Mercedes-Benz F-Cell World Drive Begins Australian Tour

After a 13-day journey across the south of Australia, the F-Cell World Tour of Australia will end in Perth on April 10

On March 29th, after Europe and the USA & Canada legs, the third section of the F-CELL World Drive with the B-Class F-CELL cars began. This is the second time that Mercedes-Benz has brought fuel cell powered cars to Australia, as this locally emission-free technology was already used in Perth as part of the HyFLEET:CUTE STEP project. Three Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses with fuel cell drive were in operation in the city’s urban public transport system between 2004 and 2007, where they demonstrated their reliability and performance potential by covering a total of over 261,000 kilometres in Down Under. “One major advantage of fuel cell technology is that it can be used in a wide variety of vehicles, from passenger cars to buses. Moreover, it is not only suitable for short distances that are for example covered in public transport, but also for longer distances,” says Prof. Herbert Kohler, Head of E-Drive & Future Mobility in the Research and Pre-Development department, and Chief Environmental Officer of Daimler AG. “Fuel cell vehicles therefore have a great potential for CO2 reduction over a wide range of mobility needs.”

After a 13-day journey across the south of Australia, including detours to the famous Great Ocean Road, the stage of the F-CELL World Drive which is most distant from the final destination, will end in Perth on 10 April. From there, the green-painted B-Class F-CELL cars will embark on their last flight to Shanghai in China. After spending several days at the internationally important exhibition “Auto Shanghai”, their route will then take them more than 14,000 kilometres through the Eurasian continent until they arrive at their starting and finishing point in Stuttgart.

Mobile hydrogen fuelling station

One of the objectives of the F-CELL World Drive is to draw attention to the need for the development of a global hydrogen infrastructure that will make the widespread introduction of locally emission-free fuel cell vehicles possible. To date there are only very few public hydrogen fuelling stations in the world, and this presents a major challenge involving great logistical effort during this unique round-the-world tour. Public fuelling stations have so far only been available at the starting point in Stuttgart and in Los Angeles. Therefore refuelling procedures for the F-CELL World Drive required very precise planning. Two refuelling teams accompanying the tour ensure that the mobile fuelling station is available for the B-Class F-CELL cars at around midday and in the evenings. The hydrogen required is directly transported to the fuelling station by Linde AG. It is fed into the mobile fuelling unit, where it is compressed to the nominal 700 bar pressure under which it is filled into the B-Class F-CELL.

Flight arrangements subject to strict regulations

The cars must be transported from continent to continent by air for their round-the-world tour. In view of national Customs and other regulations, this too requires a great deal of careful organisation.

A jumbo jet is available to carry the tour across the seas. But there is only enough space for all the cars and other equipment if everything is loaded according to a precise plan. Fine visual judgement was therefore required when the vehicles were manoeuvred into the aircraft in Lisbon and Seattle, and of course a number of special safety regulations also needed to be satisfied. The entire tour is therefore accompanied by a crew of specialists who are well-prepared for these situations, and are able to ensure that all goes smoothly. All in all, around 20 technicians with wide-ranging expertise accompany the tour during its individual stages.

Preparations for the world tour

The preparations for this unique undertaking already began months in advance. All the route sections in Europe, the USA, Australia, China, Kazakhstan and Russia were surveyed beforehand, as only in this way could local conditions and refuelling locations be taken into account during the planning.

Indeed refuelling was the greatest challenge of all. All fuelling stops were precisely scheduled in advance to take the 380-kilometre operating range of the cars into account. Refuelling during the tour usually took place at Mercedes-Benz dealerships or Linde locations, as well as in suitable carparks and service stations.

Emission-free tour of North America with the B-Class F-CELL

Before flying to Australia the cars each covered around 10,000 kilometres on North American soil, with 18 driving days, three days of local events and numerous excursions for film and photo shoots. During this tour the participants were able to reduce the average fuel consumption of the B-Class F-CELL from the 1.18 kg of hydrogen per 100 kilometres achieved in Europe to just 1.15 kg. The fuel consumption record for the USA was 0.88 kg per 100 kilometres, corresponding to a diesel equivalent of less than 3 litres per 100 kilometres. Mercedes-Benz also used the tour to visit partner companies in North America. On 10 March the F-CELL World Drive paid a visit to the electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors, and also made a stop at the Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation (AFCC) in Vancouver (Canada), which is developing the fuel cell stack for the B-Class F-CELL in cooperation with the Daimler research and development department in Germany. Mercedes-Benz also took this opportunity to announce future intentions in the field of electromobility: from 2013 the company will produce fuel cell stacks in its own plant in Vancouver (Canada).

Mercedes-Benz F-CELL World Drive

During the F-CELL World Drive, three Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL vehicles are passing through 14 countries and 4 continents – to drive around the globe once. Organised by Mercedes-Benz, the circumnavigation of the world started on 30 January 2011 in Stuttgart and is scheduled to last 125 days, until the vehicles return to Stuttgart again at the beginning of June, after covering a distance of some 30,000 kilometres. The aim of the tour is to demonstrate the technical maturity and suitability for everyday use of electric vehicles with fuel cells, and at the same time highlight the need for a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure. The Stuttgart-based automotive manufacturer is being supported on the tour by Linde AG, which is responsible for supplying the hydrogen.

Mercedes-Benz F-Cell World Drive Tours the West Coast

Mercedes-Benz is focusing attention on e-mobility with fuel cell technology and proving it's ready for large-scale production

With the F-CELL World Drive, Mercedes-Benz is focusing global attention on the potential of e-mobility with fuel cell technology and is furthermore demonstrating impressively that this technology is ready for large-scale production. The next step to be taken for the industrialisation of this guiding technology is the development of a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure.

Leg 9 – Phoenix to Los Angeles:

On March 6th, the ninth leg led the B-Class F-CELL vehicles from Phoenix to Los Angeles, California. On its way to L.A. via San Diego, the F-CELL World Drive covered more than 478 miles (770 kilometres). At the end of the leg in Los Angeles, the Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL – for the first and only time in the U.S.A. – were refuelled at a public station within only three minutes of time.

Leg 10 – Los Angeles to Sacramento:

On day 39 of the circumnavigation, the F-CELL World Drive embarked on the tenth leg, which leads north through the coastal state of California. The route takes the participants through San Francisco as well as to the Californian capital Sacramento. During this leg, the vehicles cover a total of 590 miles (950 kilometers). By staging local activities, like in San Francisco and Sacramento, Mercedes-Benz furthermore offers interested parties the possibility to gather information about the potential of fuel cell technology and the B-Class F-CELL. Moreover, a visit at Tesla Motors is part of this tenth leg.

Leg 11 – Sacramento to Salem:

On the eleventh leg, the F-CELL World Drive embarks from Sacramento, California, to Salem, which is the capital of the state of Oregon. Each of the vehicles covers a total of 540 miles (870 kilometers) – locally emission-free.

To view the American F-Cell World Tour legs 6-8, click here.

Infrastructure in the USA: California points the way forward

The F-CELL World Drive is particularly highlighting the still existing gaps of the global hydrogen infrastructure. By the end of the USA section of the tour on 18 March, the B-Class F-CELL vehicles will have been refuelled around 35 times on the route from Miami to Seattle – but only one of these refuelling procedures will have taken place at a public hydrogen filling station, located in the Greater Los Angeles Area.

“The American market is already active in the field of fuel cell technology, but like in Europe, there is still a need for development when it comes to infrastructure. Together with our regional partners, we want to point out the potentials of this technology and to get important lead markets ready for the rollout of a high number of electric vehicles with fuel cell technology,” says Dr. Thomas Weber, the Daimler AG Board Member responsible for Group Research and Development for Mercedes-Benz Cars. So far there are a few filling stations in California as well as on the East Coast of the USA, in the city of New York and also in Michigan. Most of the activities are currently taking place in California, however. Customers in the city of Los Angeles – where a number of Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL vehicles have been on the road since the end of 2010 – can already refuel their vehicles at five public hydrogen filling stations. Of these, three are equipped with the latest – and meanwhile globally standardized –700-bar technology which enables the tanks of B-Class vehicles to be filled in just three minutes for a range of about 400 kilometers.

Alongside further deliveries of B-Class vehicles with fuel cell drives to customers in the USA in 2011 and 2012, it is concretely planned to extend the supply network in American metropolitan areas. During a second stage they will then be linked up to each other. These steps will consequently spread fuel cell technology.

According to a study by UC Davis [1] , the basic supply of such zero-emission vehicles could be guaranteed with only about 40 hydrogen filling stations in the metropolitan area of Los Angeles. The State of California already provided an initial funding. Until today, 27 million US-Dollars went into the promotion of a hydrogen infrastructure. Another 14 million US Dollars is expected to be invested in 2011. For 2011 and 2012, the opening of further filling stations has been announced, four in the greater area of Los Angeles, two stations in the San Francisco Bay Area and 10 more stations in 2012. From 2012, a total of about 20 stations in California will supply electric vehicles with fuel cell technology with the necessary hydrogen.

These positive developments in the hydrogen infrastructure of California are also the result of Daimler AG’s almost 20-year commitment to fuel cell technology. For many years the company has been an active member of the California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP), an amalgamation of automotive manufacturers, energy suppliers, government bodies and technology companies, and also the newly established Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) in California.

The production of the necessary hydrogen today already provides a firm foundation for a future hydrogen infrastructure. The hydrogen industry in the USA could already supply up to 40 million vehicles. Pipelines, which can transport the hydrogen from the producers to the end-users, are already in place in many parts of the country.

Mercedes-Benz F-Cell World Drive Makes Its Way Across America

The second leg of the F-CELL World Drive leaves Miami and heads straight across the USA all the way to Vancouver, Canada

On February 25th, 2011, the Mercedes-Benz F-CELL World Drive began the second leg of its world tour with three neon green B-Class F-CELL vehicles. The U.S. journey began in Fort Lauderdale, FLand headed towards New Orleans, LA. In total, the vehicles will rack up around 4,660 miles in just the USA and Canada. After their brief visit, the F-Cell cars will board a plane and head to Australia via Seattle, WA.

We will continue to update you on the F-Cell World Drive progress with photos and daily updates. For now, read below for more information on the tour as well as brief diary excerpts from the World Drive staff below.

Local zero-emission motoring from Miami to Seattle

The second leg of the F-CELL World Drive is taking the three fuel cell vehicles across the North American continent, from Miami right across the USA and as far as Vancouver in Canada. The route then continues by airplane from Seattle to Australia. In doing so, the journey will also highlight the gaps in the American hydrogen infrastructure. By the end of the USA tour the B-Class F-CELL vehicles will have been refuelled around 35 times during 18 legs – but only one time will be at a public hydrogen filling station in Torrance, Los Angeles.

During the tour, the striking green paint finish of the B-Class F-CELL vehicles, which already caused a sensation at the Detroit Motor Show, isn’t the only feature raising attention to the tour. Local events in San Francisco, Sacramento, Salem and Vancouver will also provide the opportunity for an intensive exchange of ideas with local media, visitors and residents on the subject of fuel cell technology.

During this leg of the trip, which is scheduled to take roughly three weeks, participants can expect to enjoy a varied programme providing not only extensive opportunity to experience the B-Class F-CELL, but also interesting information on the topic of sustainable mobility. On 1 March the tour already paid a visit to the Daimler car2go mobility project in Austin, Texas. The next item of the agenda, due to take place on 10 March, is an intensive exchange on the topic of electric mobility at Tesla Motors in Palo Alto. Tesla designs and builds high performance electric cars and supplies powertrain components to leading OEMs. Tesla makes the lithium-ion battery and charger for Daimler’s smart fortwo electric drive and the Mercedes-Benz A-Class E-CELL. In Vancouver the participants will then be the guests of the Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation (AFCC). This is where the fuel cell stack for the B-Class F-CELL, for example, was developed in close cooperation with Daimler research and development staff from Germany. The company was established in 2007, with Daimler as the majority shareholder (50.1 percent). In addition, while in Vancouver the F-CELL World Drive will also meet up with adventurer and explorer Mike Horn and his PANGAEA Expedition, for which Mercedes-Benz is the main sponsor. The PANGAEA Expedition’s sailing ship has been visiting all of the continents, including both the North and South Pole, since October 2008. Together with young people from all over the world, expedition leader Mike Horn is setting up ecological and social projects on his trip around the world.

Mercedes-Benz F-CELL World Drive Info

During the F-CELL World Drive, three Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL vehicles are passing through 14 countries and 4 continents – to drive around the globe once. Organised by Mercedes-Benz, the circumnavigation of the world started on 30 January 2011 in Stuttgart and is scheduled to last 125 days, until the vehicles return to Stuttgart again at the beginning of June, after covering a distance of some 30,000 kilometres. The aim of the tour is to demonstrate the technical maturity and suitability for everyday use of electric vehicles with fuel cells, and at the same time highlight the need for a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure. The Stuttgart-based automotive manufacturer is being supported on the tour by Linde AG, which is responsible for supplying the hydrogen.

Leg 6:

On February 25th, 2011, the F-CELL World Drive embarked on the first leg in the USA from Fort Lauderdale to New Orleans. From 25th until 27 th of February, the vehicles passed through the four states Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana and thereby covered 1.460 kilometers.

“Our F-CELL World Drive finished the first diving day in the U.S. On February 25th the three B-Class F-CELL started their drive in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 8 a.m. After a refuelling stop during lunch time close to the Kennedy Space Center they continued their journeys to Jacksonville. Facts of the day: distance 568 km/ 353 miles, sunny weather and at least one sunburn.” F-Cell World Drive Blogger

Leg 7:

The seventh leg of the F-CELL World Drive led the vehicles from New Orleans in Louisiana over a distance of more than 1.070 kilometers to San Antonio, Texas. Along the way, the tour made a stopover at the mobility project car2go in Austin.

“The seventh leg of the F-CELL World Drive led the vehicles from New Orleans in Louisiana over a distance of more than 1.070 locally emission-free kilometres to San Antonio, Texas. Along the way, the tour made a stopover at the mobility project car2go in Austin. Right now, the tour and most of the team members have a spare day in San Antonio. Fair enough: ¼ of the tour done (31 days) — 94 days remaining.” F-Cell World Drive Blogger

Leg 8:

Starting from San Antonio on March 3rd , the three B-Class F-CELL vehicles set off on the eighth leg. The ride across the state of New Mexico to Phoenix in Arizona is the longest leg of the US-stage, covering a distance of more than 1.600 kilometers. On March 2nd the tour therefore used the opportunity to allow the participants a break in San Antonio.

“The F-CELL World Drive contested its 8th leg from San Antonio, Texas to Fort Stockton. Our team tackled more than 500 kilometres and got to know the almost waterless but rather adventurous and historically impressed outback of the “Lone Star State”. About 1/3 of the remaining distance to reach the next great destination is done. The Tour is already on its way to Deming: Phoenix is near! — 93 days left ” F-Cell World Drive Blogger

“From dawn till dusk…or almost dust?…F-CELL World Drives’ long way to Phoenix let the team leave Texas and have a stopover in Las Cruces, also known as “The City of Crosses”! Nearby the border of New Mexico they experienced the rough flair of this area. Searching for the famous Rio Grande was not successful…mostly dust…that’s what it is! Phoenix…the F-CELL World Drive is approaching…about 500 kilometres left!” F-Cell World Drive Blogger

“The F-CELL World Drive completed its 8th leg from San Antonio to Phoenix. Crossing the states of Texas and New Mexico the tour tackled over 1600 kilometres in 3 days and left behind the longest leg in the US in order to reach the capital of Arizona. More than ¼ of the route in done. The team is currently on the way towards LA – Full speed – or let’s say hydrogen – ahead!” F-Cell World Drive Blogger

F-Cell World Drive U.S. Diary Updates:

Day 1: Ft. Lauderdale – Kennedy Space Center – Jacksonville, Florida, 352 miles  Friday, February 25th

The drive began in Ft. Lauderdale on Friday, February 25th with journalists and bloggers behind the wheel of three F-CELLs. They are the first group of many national and international journalists who have been invited to join us along the route to test drive these vehicles. By mid-day, the entire team had arrived at the Kennedy Space Center where our first fueling took place. Fortunate for us the shuttle launch took place as scheduled the day before, so that we had plenty of space to refuel and enjoy the Astronaut Hall of Fame. Early evening we reached Jacksonville where our Parts Distribution Center welcomed us with a reception. Following a refuelling on their property, we regrouped poolside at our hotel to discuss the next day’s plans.

Day 2: Jacksonville – Tallahassee – Defuniak Springs, Florida, 303 miles   Saturday, February 26th

On day two we left Jacksonville, the beautiful Florida coast and entered a Starbucks neutral territory. At our first refuelling stop at a Linde distribution center in the state capital of Tallahassee, we enjoyed a southern style barbeque meal surrounded by cylinders of hydrogen, nitrogen and helium. Today we gained an extra hour settling comfortably into a new time zone in Defuniak Springs followed by dinner at Bogart’s Cafe in the town’s historic district.

Day 3: Defuniak Springs, Florida – Grand Bay, Alabama – Slidell, Louisiana, 263 miles  Sunday, February 27th

When our opening car starts out every morning at 6:30 am to prepare the fueling site, we are confident that all will run smoothly thanks to our advance team arriving the day before to ensure everything is in place. The fuel cell cars, by the way, are running smoothly and require no special attention. The field team spends most of their time and effort involved with the fueling process and the logistics of moving vehicles and people down the road.

Today we opted for a scenic route along the Gulf Coast to our first fueling site at the volunteer fire department of Grand Bay, Alabama. In the afternoon, NASA again supported our efforts by allowing us entry to the Stennis Space Center for our 2nd fueling of the day. The field team spent the night outside of New Orleans in Slidell, although some did enjoy Mardi Gras festivities on Bourbon Street, while others dined with the second group of journalists and bloggers who will accompany us to San Antonio.

Day 4: Slidell, Louisiana – Egan, Texas – Baytown, Texas, 342 miles  Monday, February 28th

Driving across the bayous of Louisiana, we left the sultry weather behind us and entered the vast expanse of Texas where we will spend the next four days. We received a warm southern welcome at our first fueling site in Egan, Texas but declined the offer to cool off at the truck stop casino. A lot of work is involved in refueling the vehicles. One important component of the operation is the hydrogen compressor which is housed in a Sprinter van. The vehicle seems to come alive during the fueling and emits all sorts of sounds during the process. It has since been christened “the Buffalo” because of its stamina, endurance and the noise it makes. Here in Texas we are on the look-out for some bull horns to complete the picture.

Day 5: Baytown, Texas – Austin, Texas – San Antonio, Texas, 311 miles   Tuesday, March 1st

We received more Southern hospitality with a Texas barbeque at the Austin Mercedes-Benz dealership while the Buffalo worked away at a nearby shopping mall parking lot. There at the fueling site we all had a look at a line-up of smart vehicles which are part of the successful vehicle loaner program car2go recently launched here in the capital of Texas. The afternoon drive lasted well into the evening as the F-CELLs drove a scenic route through the beautiful hill country of Texas and on into the city of San Antonio. The final members of the fuel support team arrived to the hotel in time for a near midnight snack. Fortunate for us we have the day off tomorrow to rest and explore San Antonio.

Mercedes-Benz F-Cell World Drive Kicks Off Its North American Tour

The Mercedes F-CELL World Drive will be travelling across North America demonstrating the potential of fuel cell technology

Today, February 25th, the F-CELL World Drive embarked on the second leg of its tour when three green Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL vehicles set out from Fort Lauderdale, Florida on their first North American leg towards New Orleans, Louisiana. In total, the vehicles will be covering around 4,600 miles in the United States and Canada, after which they will leave from Seattle, Washington to continue their journey to Australia. So far the F-CELL World Drive has already clocked up more than 2,200 miles on the roads of Europe.

The Mercedes F-CELL World Drive will be travelling across North America until March 18, demonstrating the potential of fuel cell technology. In addition, with what is to date a unique undertaking, Mercedes-Benz is reaffirming the need to develop a comprehensive global hydrogen infrastructure. “We will have reached market maturity with fuel cell technology by 2015 at the latest. From that point we would then be in a position to bring several 100,000 vehicles, in a variety of different model series, onto the roads. For example we are also planning a saloon model with fuel cell drive and will thereby expand our portfolio of local zero-emission vehicles. Therefore, by that time, an infrastructure which allows the everyday operation of such vehicles, needs to be in place.”, according to Dr. Thomas Weber, the Daimler AG Board Member responsible for Group Research and Development for Mercedes-Benz Cars. “Now is therefore the time to increase speed and consistently develop the hydrogen filling station network.”

Local zero-emission motoring from Miami to Seattle

The second leg of the F-CELL World Drive is taking the three fuel cell vehicles across the North American continent, from Miami right across the USA and as far as Vancouver in Canada. The route then continues by airplane from Seattle to Australia. In doing so, the journey will also highlight the gaps in the American hydrogen infrastructure. By the end of the USA tour the B-Class F-CELL vehicles will have been refuelled around 35 times during 18 legs – but only one time will be at a public hydrogen filling station in Torrance, Los Angeles.

During the tour, the striking green paint finish of the B-Class F-CELL vehicles, which already caused a sensation at the Detroit Motor Show, isn’t the only feature raising attention to the tour. Local events in San Francisco, Sacramento, Salem and Vancouver will also provide the opportunity for an intensive exchange of ideas with local media, visitors and residents on the subject of fuel cell technology.

During this leg of the trip, which is scheduled to take roughly three weeks, participants can expect to enjoy a varied programme providing not only extensive opportunity to experience the B-Class F-CELL, but also interesting information on the topic of sustainable mobility. On 1 March the tour already paid a visit to the Daimler car2go mobility project in Austin, Texas. The next item of the agenda, due to take place on 10 March, is an intensive exchange on the topic of electric mobility at Tesla Motors in Palo Alto. Tesla designs and builds high performance electric cars and supplies powertrain components to leading OEMs. Tesla makes the lithium-ion battery and charger for Daimler’s smart fortwo electric drive and the Mercedes-Benz A-Class E-CELL. In Vancouver the participants will then be the guests of the Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation (AFCC). This is where the fuel cell stack for the B-Class F-CELL, for example, was developed in close cooperation with Daimler research and development staff from Germany. The company was established in 2007, with Daimler as the majority shareholder (50.1 percent). In addition, while in Vancouver the F-CELL World Drive will also meet up with adventurer and explorer Mike Horn and his PANGAEA Expedition, for which Mercedes-Benz is the main sponsor. The PANGAEA Expedition’s sailing ship has been visiting all of the continents, including both the North and South Pole, since October 2008. Together with young people from all over the world, expedition leader Mike Horn is setting up ecological and social projects on his trip around the world.

Heading through Europe with hydrogen in tow

Prior to setting off in the USA, the vehicles already proved themselves on a route covering more than 3000 kilometres through Southern Europe. The symbolic starting shot for the tour actually sounded on 29 January during the official ceremony to mark the 125th anniversary of the motor car, after which, just one day later, the B-Class

F-CELL vehicles set out on the first stage to Paris. After this they made for the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, driving via France and Spain.

The initial kilometres of the unique world tour have already displayed the need for action in terms of the provision of hydrogen. The accompanying participants from the USA and China discovered that even a fuel cell vehicle such as the B-Class F-CELL can provide an enjoyable and dynamic driving experience as well as high cruising speeds: On the German motorways they kept the vehicles at a speed of 170 km/h. The consequences of this style of driving became apparent later, however, when it was discovered that the tanks of two of the three vehicles were empty approx. 40 kilometres before the scheduled fuel stop. This resulted in the realisation that, even with a fuel cell vehicle, driving fast results in increased consumption, and that all drivers can cover longer local zero-emission motoring distances by adopting an economical driving style. On subsequent legs, the real goal of the participants was to achieve as low a consumption as possible by adopting an appropriate driving style at comfortable speeds. As part of this, one of the drivers even managed to better an NEDC-certified (New European Driving Cycle) value equivalent to 3.3 litres of fuel (diesel equivalent) per 100 kilometers, resulting in a range of 380 km.

For Mercedes-Benz, these initial problems most notably reflect the need for action when it comes to the provision of hydrogen. The refuelling situation on the F-CELL World Drive underpins this issue. At the start in Stuttgart, the vehicles could still be refuelled at the public hydrogen filling station of OMV. However, up until the preliminary leg destination of Lisbon, the vehicles had to resort to alternatives, such as the mobile refuelling vehicle developed specifically for the tour. This was developed in conjunction with Linde AG, which is also guaranteeing the supply of hydrogen for the entire world tour, something which represents a significant challenge since the hydrogen has to be made available at each of the refuelling stops at the right time, in the right quantity and with the necessary degree of purity.

Despite the partial difficult conditions – which a trip around the world brings along with it – after extensive test drives it has become apparent to the participants of the tour that the B-Class F-CELL is highly suited to everyday use. Furthermore, as determined at a routine evening check in Lyon, even animals such as the pine marten are keen on the technology too. Two small holes in the cooling and heating hoses, caused by the teeth of the predators, were the fuel cell vehicle’s first small issues requiring repair.

Mercedes-Benz F-CELL World Drive

During the F-CELL World Drive, three Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL vehicles are passing through 14 countries and 4 continents – to drive around the globe once. Organised by Mercedes-Benz, the circumnavigation of the world started on 30 January 2011 in Stuttgart and is scheduled to last 125 days, until the vehicles return to Stuttgart again at the beginning of June, after covering a distance of some 30,000 kilometres. The aim of the tour is to demonstrate the technical maturity and suitability for everyday use of electric vehicles with fuel cells, and at the same time highlight the need for a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure. The Stuttgart-based automotive manufacturer is being supported on the tour by Linde AG, which is responsible for supplying the hydrogen.

Mercedes-Benz F-CELL World Drive in Europe: Legs 1-5

The B-Class F-CELL vehicles will leave Europe via airplane, in order to carry on their journey in the USA on February 25, 2011

Leg 1: The first leg of the F-CELL World Drive started on 30th January 2011 at 8:00 a.m. in Stuttgart, Germany. The vehicles first drove to Reims, via Loudres, where the first refuelling stop took place. The three B-Class F-CELL vehicles finally arrived at their destination Paris at noontime on 31st January. During the first leg, the three fuel cell vehicles covered a distance of 660 kilometres, while driving locally emission free.

Leg 2: The second leg began in the early morning of 2nd February 2011 in Paris and led through Sermoise sur Loire, where the vehicles were refuelled for the first time, straight to Lyon. The three B-Class F-CELL vehicles covered a distance of 500 kilometers – locally emission-free. One day before, on 1st February, the first press-event of the F-CELL World Drive offered local journalists the opportunity to see for themselves that the B-Class F-CELL is technically mature.

Leg 3: On 4th February 2011, the third leg of the F-CELL World Drive led the vehicles to Perpignan in France. The day after, the vehicles embarked on a 200 kilometers journey towards the Spanish coastal town of Barcelona. The vehicles covered an overall distance of about 690 kilometers. On 3rd February, the second event for local media took place in Lyon.

Leg 4: The third press-event of more than 20 similar activities during the F-CELL World Drive, took place on 7th February in Barcelona. On 8th February 2011, the three B-Class F-CELL vehicles travelled further to Valencia. One day later, the Tour continued their journey towards the Spanish capital Madrid. 700 kilometers were added to the mileage during the fourth leg.

Leg 5: After the forth press event of the F-CELL World Drive in Madrid, the vehicles travelled for two days from 11th until 12th February – due to an overnight stop in Badajoz – to reach the Portuguese capital Lisbon. On the last leg in Europe, the vehicles have covered a distance of more than 660 kilometers. Every single B-Class F-CELL has travelled a total of 3,250 kilometers during the first part of the F-CELL World Drive, not including the distances, the cars covered in the course of local activities. All in all, each of the vehicles will achieve a mileage of about 4,000 kilometers. After another press day on February 14th in Cascais, close to Lisbon, the vehicles will leave Europe via airplane, in order to carry on their journey in the USA on February 25, 2011.