Mercedes exec hints at a new fuel cell vehicle for 2017, could be a crossover - report

2015 Mercedes-Benz GLK spy photo / Automedia

Should fair better than the B-Class F-CELL

Mercedes sales and marketing boss Ola Kallenius has revealed the company will take hydrogen fuel cell technology to the "next level" in a few years.

Speaking to Motoring, Kallenius said “On the road to emission-free mobility, hydrogen will play a role and certainly will play a greater role farther off in the future." The executive went on to say "maybe in the 2017-ish timeframe there will be the next generation."

The executive declined to elaborate but the website suggests the company's next fuel cell vehicle will be a crossover. This would likely give the model more appeal than the B-Class F-CELL which was launched in 2010.

While fuel cell vehicles face an uphill battle due to limited infrastructure, a number of companies have committed to the technology. The Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell recently went into production and Honda has announced plans to launch the production version of the FCEV concept in 2015.