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DaimlerChrysler's NECAR 4 Fuel Cell Vehicle in Operation at Munich Airport

27 January 2000

DaimlerChrysler's NECAR 4 Fuel Cell Vehicle in Operation at Munich Airport

    MUNICH, Germany, Jan. 26 -- DaimlerChrysler's
NECAR 4 fuel cell vehicle will be operated daily for three weeks shuttling
flight crews, airport employees and other visitors at the Munich Airport
beginning January 31.
    The real-world operation will provide DaimlerChrysler with invaluable
experience with the fuel cell concept.  For example, airport drivers and
DaimlerChrysler engineers can evaluate handling and reliability under varying
conditions.  The Bavarian State Ministry of Economics, Transport and
Technology and the Munich Airport operator Flughafen Muenchen GmbH also are
involved in this joint project to promote hydrogen technology and new
transportation concepts.
    NECAR 4 will be refueled at the world's first public liquid and gaseous
hydrogen filling station at the airport.  Munich Airport's Robotics Hydrogen
Filling Station was opened in May 1999 and currently is refueling internal
combustion engine vehicles that are designed to run on hydrogen.
    NECAR 4 is a zero-emission vehicle based on the Mercedes-Benz A-class.  It
can reach 90 miles per hour, has an operating range of about 280 miles and
provides ample space for five occupants and luggage.  A 55 kW electric motor
with optimized torque curve makes for a high level of comfort and driving
performance.  The electricity required for powering the vehicle is generated
in the fuel cell from the chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen drawn from
the air; the end product is pure water vapor.  The tank for the liquid
hydrogen is located at the rear of the vehicle.