Mercedes to deliver first 200 green cars in 2010

Thomas Weber, Head of R&D at Mercedes, revealed that the automaker will soon release a car powered by a B-Class fuel cell. The four-door small car, fully suited for daily driving, is dubbed as the first electrical vehicle with the driving dynamics of a two-litre petrol automobile.

He informed that the reason behind the making of the new electric car is partly because of the upcoming Euro 6, which is likely to skyrocket the costs of diesel vehicles. The Euro 6 emission standards will force automakers to use costly technology in producing new fine injectors and filters, resulting in much higher car prices for consumers.

The Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL is an electric car fit for both zero emission travelling and driving of up to 400kms. The assembly of the electric car model had already started, with the first batch composed of approximately 200 vehicles to be delivered in the US and European markets by next year.

There are also several other aspects that make electric cars attractive for customers. For example, tax relief as much as €9,000 is being offered to electric vehicle owners in Monaco. On the other hand, France gives an incentive of €5,000 for automobiles that produce less than 60 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre. Meanwhile, Japan and China will award subsidies of €11,000 and €6,500 respectively.

In addition, drivers of electric vehicles can benefit from cheaper running costs. In Germany, the electricity costs for a 100-kilometre distance is presently at €3. Many experts believe that the costs of hydrogen fuel will come lower in the long-term, making it a cheap alternative to fossil fuels.