DaimlerChrysler announced this week that it has launched the world's first fleet of fuel-cell passenger cars. The fuel-cell vehicle, based on the Mercedes-Benz A- Class passenger car, is called the F-Cell and is being demonstrated and tested in Europe, the United States, Japan, and Singapore. The Mercedes-Benz A-Class F-Cell will be operated and tested by commercial customers in everyday use within the framework of government-sponsored international cooperative ventures. DaimlerChrysler is also currently testing fuel cell-powered Sprinter vans in a delivery fleet and fuel cell-powered Citaro buses. In the F-Cell, the entire Ballard fuel cell system is accommodated in the sandwich floor of the vehicle. Its tanks supply compressed hydrogen directly to the fuel cell system, giving the F-Cell a cruising range of approximately 100 miles. The electric motor has an output of 65 kW. The vehicle accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in about 14 seconds and gets a top speed of approximately 85 mph. The vehicle has true zero emissions and is quiet in operation.
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