Company will introduce Citroen, Peugeot and Opel hydrogen fuel cell vans with 250-mile range before the end of 2021,
Stellantis has revealed the next step in its aim to become a zero-emissions car company with a new hydrogen fuel cell powered medium-sized van.
The new model – not yet revealed – is based on the platform-sharing Citroen e-Dispatch/Peugeot e-Expert/Vauxhall Vivaro-e electric vans, but the technology is replaced by a new hydrogen fuel cell system.
The set-up is described by Stellantis as a mid-power system. It comprises a 45kW fuel cell stack under the bonnet, which is connected to three hydrogen tanks that can carry 4.4kg of hydrogen and are mounted under the cargo floor, in place of the electric van’s 50kWh battery.
In addition, there’s a 10.5kWh battery mounted under the seats which can be plugged in to be recharged. This provides power for the 90kW electric motor which drives the front wheels and offers up to 50km of range on its own. Stellantis promises that the combined fuel cell system will be easily capable of more than 400km (subject to official WLTP tests) of zero-emissions driving, while three-minute refill times for the hydrogen system are far shorter than those for the electric vans.
The set-up is designed to mix power sources, so the battery provides power from a standstill, at low speeds and under acceleration, while the fuel cell takes over at cruising speeds when less energy is needed. As with full EVs, the system recoups energy back into the battery when coasting or decelerating.
Since the fuel cell system is integrated into the existing medium-sized van platform, cargo volume hasn’t been compromised, while Stellantis promises a payload of up to 1.1 tonnes, depending on van size. The van will be offered in medium and long panel van guises.
Development of the fuel cell system was led by Opel’s R&D department with input from Peugeot/Citroen and French hydrogen experts Faurecia and Symbio. This joint effort has sped up development and means the first vans will hit the roads before the end of 2021.
Hydrogen charging stations scarce in Australia. However, for Europe, currently there are 25 hydrogen refuelling points in France, and 90 in Germany, with more being added every month.
Stellantis’s hydrogen fuel cell tech is for vans only at the moment, but it could easily make the leap to passenger vehicles in the form of the Citroen SpaceTourer and Peugeot Traveller MPVs. There are currently no plans to produce a hydrogen Vauxhall Vivaro van, because the fuel cell system has only been developed for left-hand drive models. However, Stellantis sees this project as its first step in hydrogen fuel cell development, and it will drive research into its second-generation systems for its broad range of cars and vans.
Dean Gibson