With strict vehicle-emissions standards and the nation’s first cap-and-trade program to reduce pollution, California has been at the forefront of the United States’ renewable-energy push during the past decade. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Mercedes-Benz would select The Golden State for an early rollout of its new hydrogen-powered B-Class F-CELL model.
More than three dozen Mercedes-Benz F-CELL electric vehicles are currently being leased to early adopters in Southern California, and availability will open up in Northern California this month. Among the first to take home the new eco-friendly Mercedes-Benz was actress Diane Kruger of the films “Inglourious Basterds” and “National Treasure.” By converting compressed hydrogen found at several Greater Los Angeles fueling stations into electricity, the F-CELL returns a 55-mpg equivalent on average and has a range of up to 240 miles, all while emitting nothing but water vapor.
“The F-CELL may be reserved for environmental enthusiasts and Hollywood actors right now, but its technology is extremely viable, and we just need the fueling infrastructure in place before it becomes a reality in New England,” said Will Dame, general manager of Viti, Inc., a Tiverton, Rhode Island Mercedes-Benz dealer. “In the meantime, Mercedes-Benz already has eight other alternative-powertrain vehicles available to U.S. buyers, so there are plenty of green options that still offer the brand’s signature performance and luxury.”
Driven by award-winning actresses and actors like Michelle Williams, Natalie Portman and Bryan Cranston, Mercedes-Benz’s alternative-powertrain lineup ranges from the new diesel-powered 2012 M-Class BlueTEC SUV to a hybrid model of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class luxury sedan, the S400 HYBRID. The 2012 Mercedes-Benz S400 HYBRID features a fuel-saving ECO start-stop function that shuts down the gas engine when braking below nine mph in stop-and-go traffic, whether it is on Hollywood Boulevard or on the way to Narragansett Beach.
While the S400 HYBRID allows for cruising that is both stylish and sustainable, the 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class BlueTEC offers eco-conscious capability. The ML350 BlueTEC uses a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 to produce 240 horsepower and an impressive 455 pound-feet of torque, yet it still returns 27 mpg on the highway. Though most owners won’t be taking their M-Class to a Hollywood movie premiere anytime soon, the vehicle’s rear occupants can take in films on the way to their destination with the optional LCD monitors built into the front head restraints.
Mercedes-Benz’s alternative-powertrain lineup has scored a lot of red-carpet attention recently, but it was an alternative body color that turned heads for the luxury automaker at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, which took place in the south of France from May 16 to May 27. Using a special fleet of its vehicles covered in gold paint, Mercedes-Benz chauffeured VIP guests and celebrities to and from the red carpet, and every day at the festival the automaker also offered test-drives in various AMG models along the famed French Riviera.
“There is probably no other automaker that can earn praise for its environmentally conscious vehicles one day, and then stand out among the most famous celebrities in the world on the red carpet the next,” added Dame. “It goes to show how good a job Mercedes-Benz has done of combining luxury, style and sustainability. ‘Eco-friendly’ no longer means having to settle for an economy car.”
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