Opel Vivaro-e powers to the top

The Stellantis Group and its subsidiary Opel report increasing interest in their electrically powered commercial vehicles. In the first quarter, the Opel Vivaro-e in the German market and the identical Vauxhall Vivaro-e in the UK reached the top spot in their segment. Additionally, the model is available in identical form from Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat, as well as the cooperation partner Toyota. However, the range of electrically powered transporters is still generally limited. In the passenger car combination segment, the Stellantis Group now only offers electrically powered models across all brands from the C- and B-segment vans in the city-van and compact-van class.

The Rüsselsheim team was able to increase the market share of the increasingly important electric light commercial vehicles in the home market in the first three months of the year to just under 19%. In the UK, the Vauxhall Vivaro-e was simultaneously the best-selling electric LCV (Light Commercial Vehicle) in March and holds this top spot for the entire quarter. Compared to the previous year, Vauxhall was able to increase its market share in electric LCVs in the UK from 19% to 22.7%.

"The segment of electric light commercial vehicles is growing rapidly and is of great importance to the entire industry. As more and more companies focus on reducing the operating costs and emissions of their fleets, the sales of electric LCVs will continue to increase in the future. Our decision to make battery-electric models from the Combo-e to the Vivaro-e and Movano-e available early on was exactly right," says Opel CEO Uwe Hochgeschurtz.

The Vivaro-e plays a central role with a range of up to 328 kilometers (WLTP) and a payload of up to 1,163 kilograms in the electrification of the Opel and Vauxhall LCV range. It is planned that by 2024 all models will also be available in electrified versions, and from 2028 Opel and Vauxhall aim to switch completely to electric vehicles in Europe.

Next step: Hydrogen Van

The production of the Vivaro-e Hydrogen, which is based on the battery-electric Opel Vivaro-e and carries the prestigious title "International Van of the Year 2021," is already in the market ramp-up phase. The fuel-cell plug-in hybrid now features a hydrogen fuel cell drive with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery of 10.5 kWh capacity and can travel more than 400 kilometers (WLTP) on a full tank. The 45 kW fuel cell provides enough power for longer journeys on the highway. According to the manufacturer, refueling with hydrogen takes three minutes, comparable to conventional diesel or gasoline. The compact drive technology is housed in such a way that the transporter does not require any compromises in cargo space compared to conventional combustion engines. It offers 5.3 or 6.1 cubic meters of cargo space, and the payload is up to 1,000 kilograms. The fuel-cell PHEV is available in two lengths, M (Medium) and L (Large) (4.95 and 5.30 meters).