奔驰GLC氢燃料电池汽车：3000公里零排放驾乘报告（附英文原文）

众所周知，元素周期表排行第一的化学元素氢(H), 是宇宙中含量最为丰富的元素。它的生物学意义是无可争议的，但它对替代性驱动技术的重要性，目前显然是被低估了。 

我要清楚地说明的是，奔驰GLC燃料电池车，不仅符合汽车最高的安全标准，且性能表现让人惊掉下巴。我的二位同事，Sebastian Mock 和Christian Göke，亲自试驾了GLC氢能燃料电池汽车，让我们一起看看这款车在现实中表现如何吧。下面的文章中，将能看到这二位试驾者有关GLC燃料电池车的试驾报告。

 

而我想要先说的是，插电式混合动力汽车本身：

 

回到1994年，奔驰发布了NECAR1（全新的电动汽车）-这是世界上第一款燃料电池汽车。这辆车是一款厢式货车，车上全是技术。NECAR2随后进行了小型的系列生产，一直到B级燃料电池汽车(燃料消耗：每百公里用氢0.97公斤，无CO2排放)开始环游世界。

 

NECAR1行驶里程达130公里 

 

NECAR1面世23年后，奔驰推出了他们的预生产车GLC，我对这款SUV的第一印象就是，设计非常棒。这款车显然跟以前的厢式货车有很大不同，它看起来更像一辆运动型的SUV。

 

是说这款车很普通吗？那可不！2H2 + O2 = 2H20 = 0，真正的零排放！

 

2017法国克福车展-GLC试生产的GLC燃料电池车全球首发

 

GLC 燃料电池汽车介绍

 

这是一款全电动的插电式混合电动汽车，也就是说，它是辆燃料电池进行驱动的电动汽车，并可外接充电电池进行补充电能。 在汽车发动机里，氢气和氧气通过燃料电池电池发生化学反应，产生电能，驱动汽车。化学反应过程的唯一副产品是水汽和热。 

 

在用氢的模式下，这款燃料电池车行驶里程可达400公里。锂电池是电机的另外一种补充能源，它将汽车的续航里程增程了49公里。和驱动系统一样，它的电池位于SUV车身的后面。 

 

在我同事SebastianMock和Christian Göke的试驾报告中，这款车可长时间的驾驶让人印象深刻。所以，这款混合动力的汽车的优势之一是它的行驶里程比较长，而且这种长距离的驾驶完全没有任何废气的排放。

 

 

GLC 燃料电池概念车

 

如果要把GLC单纯的跟一款纯电动汽车相比的话，你会发现，GLC不仅行驶里程长，而且“加氢”用时短。约用3分钟，就能把被碳纤维包裹的氢罐装4.4公斤氢，压力为70MPa。

 

现在德国投入使用的加氢站有45座。这数字让人高兴不起来。但放眼全世界来看，德国在全世界排名第2了，排在第一的是日本，它投入使用的加氢站已达91座。 

 

德国的加氢站网络的情况正变得越来越好，因为德国计划到2019年建成100座加氢站，到2023年建成400座。现在德国1公斤的氢要9.5欧元。假设每跑百公里用一公斤的氢，那么这种成本跟传统的燃油车已经变得差不多了。 

 

但是，开着这种混合动力的汽车感受如何？为了规划行驶路线，你要做什么功课，才能不至于在没有任何加氢站的地方不会有麻烦？想了解更多，参考我二位同事的报告吧！

 

驾乘一：开着燃料电池汽车在德国行驶1800公里

 

作者：体验人，Sebastian Mock-2018年6月30号以前，一位储氢罐系统和氢能技术领域的国际标准开发工程师，7月1号以后，成为电池安全团队的一员。 

 

周末来临，更让人激动的是，GLC 汽车也就停在我家门前。

 

因为GLC目前仍在功能测试的验证阶段，所以我才有了这个特别的机会进行一次私人试驾。我很快就决定了自己的目的地-我要从Swabia开车去下Lower Saxony，去探望家人。所以我准备好开车去了。

 

尽管德国的加氢站数量在不断的增长，但如此长的行驶里程，还是要提前规划好。要做到也很容易，非常感谢智能手机的APP。现在我已经查好了我要经过的加氢站，并准备出发了！

 

 

加氢站路线和手机APP里的加氢站

 

当汽车开始启动，一阵静音后，有点儿轻微敲击杂音。这种声音是由阀门的活动引起的。安静的驱动系统让我变得兴奋起来，我驶向了高速公路。

 

在经停的第一座加氢站，加氢的速度非常快，就仿佛在给一辆汽油车或是柴油车在加油。不仅如此，我还能迅速的再次开车离开。在行驶的过程中，比较特别的是在Kamen, North Rhine-Westphalia北莱茵-威斯特法利亚加氢的经历。

这座加氢站，就紧挨着特斯拉的超级充电桩。在特斯拉的驾驶员们还在等候充电并露出他们惊讶表情时，我已经迅速的加满氢气又再次上路了。1：0，燃料电池汽车胜一筹。

 

整个驾驶充满乐趣。汽车系统的输出功率是147千瓦，可满足每一个需求。尽管我没有一次行驶达437公里（GLC官方给出的最远行驶里程），我所需要做的就是，从斯图加特到明斯特的过程中，我只需要加一次氢就可以了。该辆车完全满足了日常的使用。

 

 

在北莱茵-威斯特法利亚的加氢站

 

当我到了下萨克森州后，这辆车围观的人越发多了。我特别喜欢这样回答他们说：“通常我不怎么样关注汽车的，但我非常喜欢这辆车！”

 

在下萨克森州的南部，加氢站还是非常稀少的，GLC的混合动力系统，刚好能充分展示出了其优势所在。13.8千瓦时的输出功率，我可以在不使用氢能燃料电池系统的情况，满足日常出行需要。

 

结论就是，尽管GLC是一款非常棒的汽车，我反而更喜欢它的燃料电池系统。很多人都把电动汽车和长时间的充电联系在一起，但GLC的出现证明了，事实并不是如此。

 

我希望这次经历，可以帮助展示此项技术的应用潜力，以后能见到越来越多的这样的汽车。为此，我想对在此领域发展取得巨大成就的同事们表示祝贺：GLC驾驶体验舒适，而且非常合适长距离的行驶。

 

驾乘二：跨越国界：燃料电池汽车的Hansa绿色旅程2018

 

作者：体验人，Christian Göke-外部照明供应商质量工程师，他也是不莱梅发电厂的E-Mobility的项目经理。

 

又到了Hansa绿色旅程时间了。这个国际性的汽车拉力赛已经举办了9届了。这个拉力赛的特色就是，可以代表可持续发展的最新技术的项目。

 

今年的参赛者，有汽车爱好者，企业家，政治人士，他们所驾驶的车辆都安装了像是沼气或是氢气的可发电的设施，一起前往德国、丹麦、荷兰。这些系统包括了电池、电动轮渡、及在使用过程中获取燃料的气电转换的装置。

 

今年，Albrecht von Haebler和我驾驶着在不莱梅生产的GLC参赛了。奔驰在不莱梅的工厂已经是第六次参加这个拉力赛了。这次参赛给我们提供了一个展示最新汽车的好机会。 

 

在阿姆斯特丹启程

 

我永远不会忘记2014年，在Hansa绿色旅程过程中第一次驾驶氢能燃料电池汽车的经历。那个时候，我们驾驶着B级的燃料电池汽车，从德国汉堡开到了荷兰哥本哈根。

 

 

从阿姆斯特丹出发

 

然而，这次我发现，GLC燃料电池车的驾驶体验比B级的更高级！感觉就像在水面上冲浪。

 

在阿姆斯特丹启程的时候，这款车较大的优势就显现出来了。GLC的混合动力系统，可充电的系统，可让我们在每一个经停的站进行充电。在荷兰的话，跟加氢站相比的话，充电桩更为常见。这也让我们一直在开启着电动模式，尽可能的节省了氢气，充满电一次可行驶50公里。 

 

对传统的化石燃料的汽车来说，行驶里程显得并不是那么的重要，但对纯电动汽车的司机们来说，这是需要考虑的首要因素了。对GLC这款车来说也是如此，特别是在拉力赛模式时，Albrecht就仔细的记录了汽车的燃料和电力的消耗情况。

 

 

 Albrecht 和我在加氢站

 

我希望能尽快见到这种技术已经成熟的车辆，可行驶在城市的大街小巷中。原因之一，在旅程中，我们见到了非常多的电转气项目。这些汽车产生氢气，是GLC 理想的燃料。

 

当2名荷兰的政客询问我，是否可以把GLC燃料电池车作为他们的官方用车时，我希望见到越来越多这样的车的意愿也就越强烈了。但不幸的是，我没办法邀请他们来我们客户中心签订合同，因为从今年秋季开始，这些车辆将首先会租给我们选定的客户。

 

我相信，全新的GLC燃料电池车的反响肯定会非常好。我也希望，这项技术能利用到其它的车辆中。我完全的被这项技术征服了。 

 

正如所知，大部分的氢气还是通过天然气制氢获得的。这会使得整个碳排放链条的CO2排放量减少25%以上。最为重要的是，氢可以是完完全全的绿色的-比如说是通过可再生能源制氢，这是一个值得我们追求的目标！

 

（来源：作者：Felix Coutandin，德国奔驰汽车公司产品和技术沟通实习生。）

翻译：氢装上阵

 

英文原文：

 

The chemical symbol H. Most people know it; the chemical element in the upper left-hand corner of the periodic table — hydrogen. It’s the most common chemical element in the universe. Its biological significance is undisputed; its importance for alternative drive technology is underestimated. But fuel cell technology has the potential to become a major solution.

Let me make it clear right away that the GLC F-Cell meets the highest safety standards and is nonetheless a real jaw-dropper. Two of my colleagues, Sebastian Mock and Christian Göke, tested the vehicle for you to find out how it performs in real life. You’ll find the two test drivers’ reports further down in this article. However, I’d first like to tell you more about our plug-in hybrid itself:

Back in 1994, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the NECAR 1 (New Electric Car) — the world’s first fuel cell vehicle. The vehicle was a van that had its entire cargo area filled with technology. The NECAR 1 was followed by further small production series, all the way to the B-Class F-Cell (fuel consumption: 0.97 kg H₂/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions: 0 g/km), which traveled around the world in 2011.

NECAR1 with 130 km cruising range

Now, 23 years after the NECAR 1, Mercedes-Benz is presenting the GLC F-Cell preproduction vehicle. My first impression of the SUV is that it has a great design — it’s a GLC after all. The new vehicle clearly doesn’t have many similarities with the box-shaped delivery van of yesteryear. Moreover, there’s no trace left of the drive technology in the cargo area. On the contrary, It looks like a sporty SUV.

Is it normal? Not at all! Blue highlights on the radiator grille, the sill trim, and the rear bumper indicate that this vehicle is truly something special. These markings show that the SUV stands for an equation that is as striking today as it was in 1994: 2H2 + O2 = 2H20 = 0 emissions.

I can scarcely believe that the only “exhaust product” of the GLC’s fuel cell system is water vapor. This is what makes the vehicle unique.

World premiere of the GLC F-Cell pre-series vehicle at IAA Frankfurt 2017

The GLC F-Cell in brief

If you look underneath the F-Cell’s hood, you will see that the vehicle is an all-electric plug-in hybrid. This means that it is the first electric vehicle to be powered by a fuel cell that is augmented by a battery that can be externally charged.

The fuel cell system in the vehicle’s engine compartment reacts hydrogen with oxygen. This generates electricity, which, in turn, powers the electric motor. It’s a kind of on-board power plant. Are there any exhaust gases? Nope! The only byproducts of the reaction are water and heat. I think this technology is really fascinating!

The F-Cell can travel more than 400 km in H2 mode. The lithium-ion battery, which is used as an additional source of energy for the electric motor, extends the vehicle’s range by 49 km. Like the drive system, the battery is located in the rear of the SUV.

These statistics make it clear that the F-Cell can be driven much farther than just to a nearby bakery. The vehicle can also travel long stretches, as my colleagues Sebastian Mock and Christian Göke impressively demonstrate in their reports. One of the hybrid’s advantages is thus without a doubt its long range — moreover, it drives this distance completely emission-free.

Vehicle concept GLC F-Cell

If you would like to compare the GLC against a purely battery-powered vehicle, you’ll not only notice the range, but also the much shorter “refueling time.” It takes only about three minutes to fill the F-Cell’s two carbon-fiber-covered fuel tanks with 4.4 kg of hydrogen at 700 bar.

There are currently 45 H2 filling stations operating in Germany. To be honest, this figure is unsatisfactory. But it still puts Germany into second place worldwide, surpassed only by Japan, which has 91 H2 filing stations.

However, the situation is about to get better, because Germany’s network is scheduled to grow to 100 H2 filling stations in 2019 and 400 in 2023. One kilogram of hydrogen currently costs €9.50. If you assume that the vehicle consumes one kilogram of H2 per 100 km, the costs will be similar to those of a conventional combustion engine.

But how is it like to drive a plug-in hybrid and how much effort is needed to plan routes so that you don’t get stranded on a lonely country road without any fuel? To find out more, read the reports from my two colleagues!

Driving the F-Cell 1,800 km through Germany

Author: Sebastian Mock — until June 30 a development engineer for hydrogen fuel tank systems and international standards in the hydrogen technology sector; since July 1 a member of the product safety team for batteries.

The long anticipated weekend is finally here. Moreover, the GLC F-Cell is here as well — ready to drive off right in front of my house.

Because the preproduction vehicles are currently in the validation phase having their functions tested, I had the special opportunity to take the GLC F-Cell on a private test drive. I quickly decided on a destination: I would leave Swabia and head to Lower Saxony in order to visit my family. So I’m now ready to drive off. Or maybe not.

Despite the growing number of H2 filling stations, such a long trip has to be well planned in advance. This is easily done, however, thanks to smartphone apps. Now that I’ve planned my refueling stops I’m truly ready to go!

Route with fuel stops and app with H2-filling stations

When I start the system, there’s a brief clicking noise followed by silence. The noise was caused by the activation of the valves. The quiet electric drive system makes me even more hyped. I drive onto the highway.

During my first stop at a filling station, I fill up the tank as quickly as if I was refueling a car with a gasoline or diesel engine. Moreover, I can immediately drive off again. A special highlight of the trip was my refueling stop in Kamen, North Rhine-Westphalia. This H2 station is located right next to a Tesla Supercharger. I was refueled and on the road again before the waiting Tesla drivers could even express their surprise. 1-0 for the F-Cell.

Driving pleasure was guaranteed during the entire trip. The system’s output of 147 kW (around 200 hp) satisfies every wish. Although I didn’t quite achieve the official range of 437 km, I only had to make one refueling stop in order to travel from Stuttgart to Münster. The vehicle is therefore fully suitable for everyday use.

Fuel stop in North-Rhine Westphalia

The vehicle’s effect on viewers became apparent after I reached my destination in Lower Saxony. I was especially pleased by responses such as: “I don’t normally care about cars, but I’d like one like that!”

Because hydrogen filling stations are still extremely rare in the southern part of Lower Saxony, the F-Cell’s plug-in hybrid system was able to fully demonstrate its strengths. The output of 13.8 kWh enabled me to cover the distance of a daily trip solely by means of the battery and without any driving restrictions.

I’ve concluded that although the GLC is a great vehicle when it is powered by conventional drive technology, I like it with the fuel cell system even a bit more. Many people associate electric mobility with batteries and long charging times. The F-Cell proves that this is not necessarily the case.

I hope that it will help to demonstrate the technology’s potential and that we will see many more of them in the future! So with that in mind, I would like to congratulate the development colleagues for their achievement. The vehicle is a complete success — it offers great ride comfort and is ideal for long distances.

Crossing national borders: Taking the F-Cell on the Hansa Green Tour 2018

Author: Christian Göke — supplier quality engineer exterior lighting; he’s also the project manager for E-Mobility at the Bremen plant.

It’s time again for the Hansa Green Tour. This international automobile rally is being held for the ninth time. The rally’s stations feature the latest sustainable technology projects.

This year’s participants, who consisted of a mixture of car enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, and politicians, drove vehicles equipped with electric or other alternative drives (e.g. biogas, hydrogen) to exciting destinations in Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands. The various systems included battery banks, electric ferries, and power-to-gas units that use a chemical process to obtain fuel gas.

This year, Albrecht von Haebler and I drove the GLC F-Cell, which was produced in Bremen. The Mercedes plant in Bremen has participated in the Tour now for the sixth time. The rally always provides us with a great opportunity to show off our latest vehicles.

Tourstart in Amsterdam

I’ll never forget how I got my first experience with a fuel cell vehicle during the Hansa Green Tour 2014. Back then, we drove a B-Class F-Cell from Hamburg to Copenhagen.

However, I noticed right away that the GLC F-Cell offers a higher-level driving experience than the B-Class F-Cell! I feel like I’m surfing on water with my power kite.

One of the vehicle’s big advantages became apparent right at the start of the tour in Amsterdam. The GLC F-Cell’s plug-in charging system enabled us to recharge the battery at every stop along the route. Compared to hydrogen filling stations, battery charging points are very common in the Netherlands. This allowed us to save hydrogen, drive in e-mode, and always have a fully charged battery that lets one drive for 50 km.

Although range isn’t really that important for vehicles that run on fossil fuels, it is a primary concern for the drivers of all-electric automobiles. Such is also the case with the GLC F-Cell, especially when it was in rally mode during the Tour. That’s why Albrecht carefully recorded the vehicle’s fuel and electricity consumption.

Albrecht and me at the H2-filling station

I soon want to see more of these technologically mature vehicles out on the road and in city streets. One of the reasons for this is that we saw many power-to-gas projects during the Tour. These vehicles produce CO2-neutral hydrogen, which is an ideal climate-neutral fuel for the GLC F-Cell.

My desire to see even more of these vehicles was boosted further when two Dutch politicians asked me whether they could have a GLC F-Cell as an official car. Unfortunately, I was unable to invite them to come to our customer center to sign a contract, because the vehicle will first be leased to selected customers, starting in fall.

I’m convinced that the new GLC F-Cell will meet with an extremely good response. I also hope very much that we will be able to install fuel cell technology into additional vehicle models. This technology has completely won me over.

Good to know: Most hydrogen is still produced from fossil sources such as natural gas. This reduces CO2 emissions in the overall chain by more than 25 percent. It’s crucial, however, that hydrogen be produced completely “green” — i.e. from renewable sources of energy. It’s an objective that’s well worth pursuing!

Felix Coutandin, 25, is currently doing an exciting internship at Product & Technology Communications Mercedes-Benz Cars. In October 2018 he will return to the University of Mainz in order to earn a master’s degree in communications management. Until then, he will enjoy the various interesting insights he gains into technological innovations.