Mercedes To Begin Limited Production of B-Class Fuel Cell Vehicles

Mercedes To Begin Limited Production of B-Class Fuel Cell Vehicles

German Car Maker Also Rolling Out Battery-Electric Smart Cars This Year

Mercedes-Benz has been at the forefront of fuel-cell vehicle development and now says that it plans to begin producing a small number of its B-Class cars (left) outfitted with the hydrogen-to-electricity systems.

The B-Class fuel-cell electric vehicles would begin rolling out in Europe by the end of the year, apparently for testing in the real world, the automaker told reporters during a program held in Germany this week to show off a student-built experimental fuel cell car, the F-Cell Roadster (more about that at InsideLine).

During the program, Mercedes executives also reiterated that the first of the company's previously announced battery-electric Smart cars would be in production by the end of the year.

The Smarts (right) are to be used in an EV test program in Berlin next year.

While Mercedes doesn't sell the B-Class in the U.S., the company has said it is considering bringing the small hatchback over here. At the recent Washington D.C. auto show it showed a B-Class flex-fuel vehicle that could use either gasoline or compressed natural gas.

We'll probably be hearing more about fuel cells, battery-electric cars and natural gas vehicles in coming months as all three are alternative fuels being pushed for use in California - a sizeable player in the U.S. new car market - under a just-approved low carbon fuels standard that aims to help cut the state's greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the carbon content of fuels used for transportation.

Student-built F-Cell Roadster on the road in Germany.

John O'Dell:  is an AutoObserver Senior Editor. Follow @AutoObserver on Twitter.