Mercedes brings a hydrogen-powered compact to market—and you can get it, sort of.

The hydrogen age is dawning on us—a few of us, anyway. Mercedes is bringing 200 units of its compact B-class to market with hydrogen fuel cells in Europe and the U.S.

“The B-class F-Cell is taking on a pioneering role as the world’s first fuel-cell-powered automobile to be produced under series production conditions,” says Thomas Weber, Daimler board member for research and development and a man who has apparently never heard of the Honda FCX Clarity. Mercedes-Benz has already produced more than 100 hydrogen-powered prototypes and is among the pioneers either way.

Unlike the FCX Clarity, which features a unique, space-age body, the B-class F-Cell is based on the rather pedestrian, regular B-class.

The B-class, as its somewhat unfortunate name suggests, is sort of a stretched—and more conventional looking—A-class. It does not excel in the looks or performance category, but it enjoys great popularity among European “best agers” (think Buick demographics).

Powered by an electric motor that makes 136 hp and 214 lb-ft of torque, the latter available from standstill, the B-class F-Cell should move forward with at least a little bit of authority.

The hydrogen-powered B-class provides a range of 240 miles and a refueling time of just three minutes. If you don’t think that’s exciting, compare it with the range and recharging time of a fully electric car.

The B-class employs a sandwich floor, which houses drive components and the lithium-ion batteries used to recapture energy while braking.

This unique feature of the A- and B-class will go away in the next generation. Future hydrogen models, however, will likely keep the sandwich floor of the current model but have the next generation’s styling, which was previewed with the Concept BlueZERO at this year’s Detroit auto show.

The lack of a refueling infrastructure—which could potentially cost billions—is still a major obstacle to hydrogen cars. But with better range and quicker refueling than electrics, we think they may well have a legitimate place in the future of the automobile.

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