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Mercedes-Benz GLC F-Cell, on hold until further notice Photographer: Alex Kraus/Bloomberg © 2020 Bloomberg Finance LP And one it didn’t give – the electricity must be renewable otherwise there is no CO2 gain.Although the cost of fuelling a hydrogen car would be similar to traditional fuels, developing the technology isn’t cheap, nor is storing or moving hydrogen itself.Good efficiency levels fuel cell powertrains are much more efficient at getting energy out of hydrogen than traditional cars are at getting energy out of gasoline or diesel.Impressive range of around 300 miles, on a par with conventional vehicles.Faster refuelling compared with charging an electric car – 3 to 5 minutes just like a gasoline vehicle.What advantages do hydrogen fuel cells have over batteries? Arval, part of the French bank BNP Paribas Group, lists these plusses and minuses. But at the same time, Daimler said it was putting plans for a fuel-cell powered car on hold for a while. The declared aim was to have big, long-haul, fuel-cell powered trucks ready for market after 2025.
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Only last week, Mercedes parent and truck maker Daimler announced a deal with Volvo Trucks to share the costs of developing, producing and selling heavy-duty vehicles powered by fuel-cell technology. More aggressive cynics, like Tesla Inc’s Elon Musk, dismiss the idea as merely “fool’s cells not fuel cells” and “mind-bogglingly stupid”, but manufacturers are still investing large amounts in the technology, probably more as an insurance policy to guard against a rival surprisingly unlocking the key to its economic viability.