Daimler and Linde AG join forces to set on the introduction of hydrogen cars

[Wretched]

Daimler Teams With Linde to Build 20 Hydrogen Fuel Stations

By Chris Reiter -Wed Jun 01 17:45:59 GMT 2011

Daimler AG (DAI), the maker of Mercedes- Benz cars, will team up with industrial gases producer Linde AG (LIN) to build 20 hydrogen fuel stations in German cities as the companies promote the use of the element to power automobiles.

The investment of more than 10 million euros ($14 million) split between Daimler and Linde will establish stations in Berlin, Hamburg and Stuttgart over the next three years, the companies said today in a joint statement. The plan will more than triple the number of publicly accessible hydrogen stations in Germany, of which there are currently seven.

Daimler completed a round-the-world trip today with three B-Class compacts powered by fuel cells, which use hydrogen to generate electricity from the chemical reaction that creates water. Mercedes will start large-scale production of fuel-cell cars in 2014, Daimler Chief Executive Officer Dieter Zetsche said at an event in Stuttgart, where the company is based.

A typical hydrogen station costs from 1 million euros to 1.5 million euros to set up, according to Munich-based Linde, the world’s second-biggest maker of industrial gases.

Fuel-cell vehicles, which can travel farther and refuel quicker than battery-powered cars, have been hampered by the difficulty of storing and moving hydrogen, and by the cost of manufacturing membranes that capture the electron in the reaction. Daimler has said it has invested more than 1 billion euros in fuel-cell technology.

Price, Range

Daimler is leasing the B-Class F-CELL vehicles for 950 euros a month for 36 months. The company offers lease rates on the conventional model for 325 euros. The manufacturer plans to build 200 B-Class F-CELLs and will deliver about 30 fuel-cell buses to Hamburg’s public transit system.

The current B-Class version sandwiches the equipment under the floor and, unlike past models, can start in freezing temperatures. The B-Class F-CELL has a range of about 400 kilometers (249 miles) on a full tank, more than double the Nissan Leaf’s average of 100 miles.

The Mercedes-Benz maker, which produced its first vehicle using the technology in 1994, owns a majority stake in Automotive Fuel Cell Corp., a joint venture with Ford Motor Co. (F) and Ballard Power Systems Inc. Other automakers are also active in fuel-cell research. Honda Motor Co. leases FCX Clarity sedans to Los Angeles-area drivers.

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-0...-stations.html

Hydrogen is the way to go. This is a good step.