This is James R. Healey's USA TODAY column, which
appeared March 19, 1999.Fueled up for electric future
DaimlerChrysler car has protons and a few cons
 ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Credit
DaimlerChrysler with a
masterstroke. The company is
showcasing the latest generation
of its fuel-cell, electric-power
technology in the
Mercedes-Benz A-class, a
minisedan that'd be top-drawer
even if it were burning
corncobs.
The tall, stubby car - not sold in the USA - is roomy for its size
and provides a surprising degree of the elevated seating position
that's made sport-utility vehicles popular.
Not quite 12 feet long, it takes up little more than half a
conventional parking space. Yet four big guys fit nicely inside; five
can make it if the three in back are friendly.
The dashboard puts most controls close. Gauges are a bit small
but clearly marked.
A-class got a black eye when it rolled over during a European car
magazine's simulated emergency maneuvers. After briefly
pooh-poohing the test, Mercedes revamped the suspension to
make it more stable.
All things considered, A-class is as appealing as the Volkswagen
New Beetle in an ugly-duckling way. DaimlerChrysler's fuel-cell
benefits form the A-class' halo.
But a big problem with fuel cells is that they are, well, big. A-class
was designed with space between the underbody and the interior
floor, partly to accommodate batteries if A-class becomes
Mercedes' electric car.
A fuel cell is a sort of chemical battery. It uses a process involving
hydrogen and oxygen to create electricity, which powers an
electric motor and drives the car.
So, DaimlerChrysler researchers reasoned, why not work like
crazy to minimize a fuel cell's pipes and plates and miscellany and
slip one into that battery gap? That's done, and the first brief test
drives of the fuel-cell car were hosted near here this week.
DaimlerChrysler calls the machine NECAR 4 (New Electric Car,
fourth version) and trumpets it as "the first driveable fuel-cell car
introduced in the United States that demonstrates dynamic driving
performance and zero exhaust emissions." Some truth there, some
hype.
Consider that NECAR 4 uses liquid hydrogen as a direct source
of hydrogen for that electricity-generating reaction. No public
filling stations dispense liquid hydrogen, which must be at
minus-423 degrees Fahrenheit. One is to open at the Munich
airport in Germany this year.
NECAR 4 was, as claimed, driveable. It whipped back and forth
just fine on a short stretch of local asphalt. Never broke, nor
stumbled, nor failed to stop; never missed a corner, nor put upon
its driver or passengers.
It ran fine at 40 miles an hour and has a claimed top speed of 90
mph. Cornering was passable if not sports-car-like. The tall
stance suggests A-class would tip in corners like a phone booth in
a hurricane. But that was offset by the low center of gravity,
created by several hundred pounds of fuel-cell gizmos.
"Dynamic driving performance" was a stretch. Unlike most
electrics, NECAR 4 felt sluggish accelerating from a stop or slow
speed. The DaimlerChrysler rig depends on compressed air to
fuel the reaction that generates electricity. And the compressor
took a moment to spool up.
Under way, NECAR 4 did better, hustling properly to survive in
suburban traffic. A video crew chasing the machine in a
conventional minivan later commented that NECAR 4 forced the
van to work to keep up. But it hardly was as yummy and
satisfying and fun as DaimlerChrysler promised, or as much so as,
say, Honda's EV-Plus battery-power electric already on sale.
Nor was NECAR 4 as quiet as most electrics. Blame that air
compressor. It had a distant, annoying whine.
Inside, an obnoxious alarm sounded as the machine went through
lengthy self-tests when the ignition key was turned. And the
brakes were noisy.
The automaker promises to minimize or eliminate such problems
by the time the real-world fuel-cell vehicle goes into production in
2004. No decision has been made where to sell the fuel-cell car
first, nor even which model will be the fuel-cell machine. So
"introduced in the United States" is a bit thin.
As with all electrics, NECAR's Achilles' heel is refueling. Unlike
other electrics, though, the DaimlerChrysler car will go far
between fill-ups: a claimed 280 miles, vs. 60 miles or so for a
battery-power electric.
DaimlerChrysler hopes to develop the '04 model to accept
methanol or another more common fuel as its source of hydrogen.
That means a so-called reformer would be on the vehicle to
extract hydrogen from the fuel. Reformers are big and chew up
lots of space inside the car. And methanol puts out a little
pollution. So "zero exhaust emissions" becomes a stretch.
Meanwhile, DaimlerChrysler's spotlighting its fuel cell in the kind
of tidy, cultish, practical car that is easy to live with and is sure to
attract lots of positive attention.
DaimlerChrysler NECAR 4
What is it? Mercedes-Benz A-class five-passenger, subcompact
car converted from gasoline to an electric motor run by a
hydrogen fuel cell. It's being used to demonstrate the progress
DaimlerChrysler has made in fuel-cell development.
How soon? A-class isn't available in the USA and may never be.
DaimlerChrysler promises to have fuel-cell cars in production in
2004, but it won't say how many, at what price, in which
countries, or whether they will be A-class sedans or something
else.
How big? A-class, regardless of how it's powered, is a marvel of
packaging. It's 9 inches shorter than a subcompact Chevrolet
Metro coupe, but has as much room inside as full-fledged
compact cars much larger outside. Specifically, A-class is 140.6
inches long, 67.7inches wide, 62 inches tall, on a 95.4-inch
wheelbase, weighing about 2,500 pounds powered by a gas
engine, some 3,200 pounds with a fuel cell instead.
How much? DaimlerChrysler says fuel-cell cars would have to be
priced about the same as conventional cars to sell.
Overall: A-class is terrific, if ungainly looking. Fuel-cell power
still has drawbacks.
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