Opel has unveiled the Vivaro-e Hydrogen, a fuel cell van based on the purely electric 2021 Vivaro-e and offering a great improvement over that model in terms of driving range.
The car still uses a single electric motor rated at 136 PS (134 hp / 100 kW) and 260 Nm (192 lb-ft) of torque. However, while the EV can do between 230 and 330 km (143 – 205 miles) on a charge, the fuel cell car can use hydrogen to cover at least 400 km (248 miles) WLTP-rated. Its traction battery, while quite small at 10.5 kilowatt-hours, still contributes another 50 km (31 miles) when fully charged.
The cargo capacity stays the same, but the Vivaro-e Hydrogen can carry 1.1 metric tons of load, surpassing the EV by 90-170 kg depending on the specific version.
Opel CEO Michael Locheller pointed out that the new powertrain has no harmful exhaust, plenty of autonomy, and can be refueled in mere 3 minutes.
The company will be offering the model in two body sizes. The production will take place in Rüsselheim, Germany, and the first shipments will be made to corporate customers in the fall. Later on, the technologically related Citroën ë-Jumpy and Peugeot e-Expert commercial vans might also get similar hydrogen variants.