The launch of a production version of the Mercedes GLC hydrogen fuel cell car has been confirmed for next year.

Mercedes’ range target for the F-Cell is 500km (310 miles), which will mean the electric motor that drives the rear wheels will need three fuel sources: two hydrogen tanks, plus a rechargeable 8kWh battery pack. This configuration makes the F-Cell the world’s first plug-in fuel cell hybrid.

The total capacity of the two hydrogen tanks is 4.3kg, enough for a claimed 280-mile range, with the additional 30 miles provided by the battery pack.

Hydrogen has to be stored at huge pressure. The super-strong carbonfibre weave hydrogen vessels used in the F-Cell are rated at 700bar, or 700 times normal atmospheric pressure. One will sit longitudinally underneath the car’s mid-point, while the other is transversely fitted at the back, below the battery pack. The fuel cell stack (developed jointly with Ford) takes the under-bonnet space traditionally occupied by the engine.

2017 sales will kick off in locations reasonably served by a hydrogen filling station network, such as Japan and California. There’s no news yet on when – or if – the F-Cell will be sold in the UK.