Vauxhall’s sister brand Opel has become the first automaker to get a commercially available hydrogen van on the road.
The Vivaro-e hydrogen fuel cell EV is for fleet use and will be used in the first instance by premium domestic appliances company Miele in the Rhine-Main region of Germany.
Vauxhall is speaking to corporate fleets in the UK now and expects the van to be sold here from early 2023.
When the van has full tanks of hydrogen it can run for 249 WLTP miles. Its 45kW fuel cell is suitable for continuous highway driving and can be refuelled in three minutes, which is about the time it takes to fill up a conventional petrol or diesel vehicle.
In terms of load-lugging ability, the Vivaro-e can take up to 6.1 m3 of cargo volume. There are two length options – Medium (4.95m) or Large (5.30m), with up to 1,000kg of payload.
Marcus Lott, head of development at Opel, said: “The new Vivaro-e Hydrogen perfectly meets the requirements of fleet customers. The hydrogen van is the ideal solution for driving long distances with zero-emissions-in-use as well as for transporting larger loads without losing time while charging the batteries. The Opel Vivaro-e Hydrogen leads zero-emissions mobility into the future, especially for commercial use.”
To enhance its safety, the LCV features includes a 180-degree panorama rear view camera, blind-spot alert, and front/rear park pilot.
Chief executive of Opel Uwe Hochgeschurtz commented: “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.”