Opel and Citroën light-commercial vehicles—which double as rechargeable EVs—arrive just when the automaker promised.
- Opel Vivaro-e Hydrogen and Citroën ë-Jumpy Hydrogen enter production, with the first examples delivered to customers this month.
- Hydrogen fuel-cell vans offer a range of over 248 miles in the WLTP cycle, and up to 215 cubic-feet of cargo space in the longer-wheelbase variants.
- The LCVs’ 10.5-kWh lithium-ion batteries can also be recharged at an EV charger, giving them a safety cushion of range.
Earlier this summer we received a modestly detailed roadmap to electrification from a number of Stellantis brands, including Dodge and Chrysler, promising e-muscle starting in 2024, as well as four size versions of the battery-electric STLA platform. And a few days ago we got another glimpse of the electric Chrysler Airflow concept crossover, expected to go into production in 2024.
But battery-electric models are not the sole zero-emission technology that Stellantis is working on for the future, even though it currently attracts the most attention from the financial sector. In fact, the automaker’s first hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have just been delivered to customers, claiming the title of first light commercial vehicles (LCV) powered by hydrogen to go on sale—actually, not one but two light commercial hydrogen models from Opel and Citroën brands.
A couple of days ago Stellantis’ Opel brand, purchased from General Motors in 2017, delivered the first production Vivaro-e Hydrogen panel van, based on the battery-electric Opel Vivaro-e that itself arrived on sale not that long ago. The hydrogen fuel-cell van, delivered to appliance maker Miele in Germany, is powered by a 45-kW fuel cell paired with a 10.5-kWh lithium-ion battery, offering a range of over 248 miles in the WLTP cycle. The Vivaro-e Hydrogen can also be used as an EV in a pinch, allowing its battery to be charged externally, in which case it will offer a battery-only range of 31 miles.
Two of Stellantis’ brands will offer the hydrogen vans.
Stellantis
It is produced at the same plant is the Citroën version of the van, badged as ë-Jumpy Hydrogen, the first example of which was delivered to the SUEZ Group this month.
“With the new Opel Vivaro-e Hydrogen we are opening the next chapter in our sustainable mobility offensive. The clever concept combines the advantages of hydrogen fuel cell propulsion with the versatility and capabilities of our best-selling light commercial vehicle,” said Opel CEO Uwe Hochgeschurtz at the automaker’s headquarters in Rüsselsheim, Germany.
Inside, the Vivaro-e and its Citroën twin offer up to 215 cubic-feet of cargo space, or 187 cubic-feet in the shorter-wheelbase version, as well as a 2200-lb payload capacity.
Stellantis’ approach to hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles is rare in that it allows the Vivaro-e and hydrogen models the flexibility to recharge themselves as EVs with their 10.5-kWh batteries. By comparison, the more recent hydrogen vehicles that we’ve seen on sale stateside, including the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell and Toyota Mirai, cannot be recharged at an EV station or at home. The Stellantis vans’ plug-in ability should come in handy if it were to run out of hydrogen fuel, though there’s a good reason we’re seeing hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles marketed to fleets, including this one: Fleet management and predictable daily routes along with a limited geographic area means the vans won’t really have a reason to ever leave their comfortable distances from hydrogen fueling stations.
The vans also feature a fairly large lithium-ion battery in addition to the hydrogen fuel tanks.
Stellantis
“The fuel cell hydrogen solution is now becoming a reality with this first ë-Jumpy Hydrogen coming off the assembly line,” said Citroën Product and Strategy Director, Laurence Hansen. “Complementing our electric portfolio, it will give customers a greater driving range (especially on faster roads) and optimize vehicles’ usage time thanks to its ultra-fast refueling. All this, while retaining the capabilities and practicality of the vehicle to remain relevant on the LCV market.”
Stellantis’ hydrogen plans for the US are far more murky at the moment, as this ZEV vehicle type received only minimal mention during the automaker’s EV day earlier this summer, with the automaker solely mentioning delivery of the first LCV vans before the end of 2021. Possible plans for the introduction of Stellantis’ hydrogen LCVs to the US have not been mentioned to date, as the two models are expected to stay confined to western Europe for now, where efforts to create hydrogen corridors for commercial vehicles between major ports and industrial centers are gaining some momentum.
Keyword: Stellantis’ First Hydrogen Vans Enter Production