What’s it like to lease your very own fuel cell vehicle? We asked Jin Takemura that question, and others, just one month after he picked up the keys to his new Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL. Jin said, “I jumped at the opportunity to be an early acceptor and a technological ambassador to the fuel cell concept.” He believes that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles can reduce our reliance on foreign fossil fuels, reclaim America’s energy independence and allow for a renewable, sustainable energy source. The “clean air and environmental benefits of zero emissions hydrogen fuel cell vehicle are a bonus” he concluded.
Jin’s typical day starts with a 20-mile commute to ITOYA, a company that manufactures photo albums, where he works as the general manager. During the day, Jin’s associates use the car to make local sales calls and deliveries. Then he drives another 20 miles back home. He said the F-CELL creates “no change in our daily lives as drivers, all the while removing the pollution factor from individual cars.” Jin noted, “I use the F-CELL for 98% of my day-to-day transportation needs.”
“I’m not a typical environmentalist and am actually a car guy,” Jin explained. “I own traditional gas burners, including a Lotus Evora, a Lotus Exige and a Ford Escort RS Cosworth. I participate in track days and am an avid fan of Formula 1 and World Rally racing. But car guys like me can also appreciate fuel cell vehicles as a true technological solution to our personal transportation needs.”
When he meets people who are just learning about the technology, Jin explains the significance of his F-CELL, and how it is different than other vehicles on the road today. He added, “Once people understand the practical aspects of hydrogen fuel cell cars, I think it is unanimous that consumers understand how much more practical and pragmatic this technology is.”
Jin can’t wait for more hydrogen stations to open, which will remove the primary difference he sees between driving fuel cell cars and gasoline cars. The other differences, he noted, include the lack of noise and fewer moving mechanical parts with less wear and tear. “There is almost no real discernable difference in the day-to-day operations of a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle,” he said, and these benefits “add to the eventual consumer realization that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are better in so many ways.”
We asked Jin what advice he had for future FCV customers. His answer was straightforward and simple: “Don’t think about it. Just do it. You have nothing to lose, and so much to gain.”
Interested in leasing an F-CELL? Click here
Curious about other driver impressions? Read more from Honda driver Jack and AC Transit driver Olivia
