Vauxhall trials hydrogen-powered vans in the UK as new EV alternative

Vauxhall is trialling a hydrogen fuel-cell (FCEV) version of its Vivaro van in the UK ahead of the launch of the larger Movano Hydrogen later this year.

Based on the Vauxhall Vivaro Electric, the Vivaro Hydrogen is already sold in Europe for just over 71,000 Euros (£59,200) and is fitted with a 45kW fuel cell and a 10.9kWh battery pack, which are located under the front seats. These return a WLTP range of 249 miles, which is almost 50 miles more than the Vivaro Electric when equipped with a 75kWh battery.

Vauxhall says the Vivaro Hydrogen can travel up to 31 miles on electricity alone without drawing any power from the fuel cell, while clever packaging means it has the same load area of 6.1 cubic metres and a maximum payload of 1,000kg.

However, unlike in the EV variant, making use of this maximum payload shouldn’t impact the Vivaro Hydrogen’s range too much. Plus, Vauxhall says refuelling the 5kg hydrogen fuel tanks should only take around five minutes, about the same time it takes to fill up a diesel van.

Yet, there remains the problem of infrastructure; while the EU is heavily invested in FCEV technology – new laws require there to be a refuelling station every 200km on major roads – reception has thus far been somewhat apathetic in the UK. In fact, at the time of writing, there are only 16 hydrogen refuelling stations in the UK.

With the 311-mile-range Movano Hydrogen going on sale towards the end of 2024, Vauxhall is teaming up with British firm Ryze Hydrogen in order to make choosing an FCEV a more attractive proposition. As part of this partnership, Ryze and Vauxhall are planning to provide refuelling solutions on-site and at “convenient locations” for fleet customers.

This news comes soon after BMW announced its FCEV partnership with Toyota, with both automotive giants planning to share Toyota’s upcoming third-generation hydrogen fuel-cell technology. Hyundai has also thrown its hat into the hydrogen ring recently, announcing its own collaboration with Skoda.

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