New hydrogen-fuel-cell van offers 400km of range and can be refuelled in just three minutes.
The Peugeot e-Expert Hydrogen is the French brand’s first hydrogen production vehicle, a sibling van to the Vauxhall Vivaro-e Hydrogen and Citroen e-Dispatch Hydrogen, both revealed in the last week.
The Vivaro-e Hydrogen is currently the only model of the three confirmed to be sold in right-hand-drive in early 2023, but Australia is not currently in the mix.
The e-Expert Hydrogen, much like its siblings, uses a 10kWh battery to power the electric motor and offers up to 400km of range. It has a maximum speed of 150km/h and a full refuel takes three minutes. There is a maximum payload of 1000kg and no less load volume than its diesel Expert counterparts.
The e-Expert Hydrogen sits alongside combustion and battery electric variants of the model, and is made at a Stellantis hydrogen R&D centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany.
Peugeot CEO Linda Jackson said: “With the e-Expert Hydrogen, Peugeot is taking the lead in a future zero emission technology that is particularly relevant to the light commercial vehicle market.
“Hydrogen electric technology allows intensive daily use without the need for recharging, a decisive advantage for professionals who, in a single day, have to cover several hundred kilometres on the motorway and then enter emission-restricted urban areas. The hydrogen technology developed by Stellantis and implemented in our Peugeot e-Expert Hydrogen makes such uses possible.”
A Peugeot spokesman added that the introduction of its first hydrogen vehicle was the latest development of its “Extended power of choice” strategy, allowing customers to choose from a range of powertrains which best meets their needs.
The first customer of the e-Expert hydrogen is Watea by Michelin, a subsidiary of Michelin which focuses on green mobility solutions.
Rachel Burgess