Opel Vivaro: First Hydrogen Van Goes into Operation for Miele

The Stellantis subsidiary Opel has fulfilled its promise and delivered the first Vivaro-e Hydrogen with a fuel cell hybrid drive. The vehicle is intended for use in the daily field service of the home appliance manufacturer Miele in the Rhine-Main area. Opel CEO Uwe Hochgeschurtz and Head of Development Marcus Lott were present at the production start in Rüsselsheim.

"With the new Opel Vivaro-e Hydrogen, we are opening the next chapter in our offensive for sustainable mobility. Its clever concept combines the advantages of a hydrogen fuel cell drive with the flexibility and range of our best-selling commercial vehicle," says Opel CEO Uwe Hochgeschurtz at the company's headquarters in Rüsselsheim to promote the concept.

From the perspective of Head of Development Marcus Lott, the e-van meets the requirements of fleet customers. The hydrogen transporter is the ideal solution for zero-emission long-distance travel and transporting larger loads without losing time to battery charging. The electric transporter is based on the already available battery-electric model, which was voted "International Van of the Year 2021". The new variant now features a hydrogen fuel cell drive with a plug-in battery and is expected to travel more than 400 kilometers on a full tank (WLTP). The 45 kW fuel cell provides enough power for longer highway trips. Refueling with hydrogen takes about three minutes, similar to a conventional diesel tank stop. At startup or during acceleration, the 10.5 kWh lithium-ion battery located under the front seats provides support to cover peak loads. This ensures that the fuel cell system always operates under optimal conditions, which increases its lifespan.

Furthermore, the model offers the advantage of a hybrid system in which braking energy is recovered and fed back into the battery in the form of electricity via the electric motor as a generator. Thanks to the plug-in capability, the battery can also be charged externally if needed, allowing the vehicle to travel 50 kilometers purely on battery-electric power. The Vivaro-e Hydrogen comes standard with a three-phase onboard charger (11 kW) and a Mode-2 charging cable.

Two lengths and up to 6.1 cubic meters of loading volume

The entire drive technology is housed in such a way that the transporter does not require any changes to the loading space compared to conventional combustion engines. Two lengths are available, providing 5.3 or 6.1 cubic meters of space (4,959 and 5,306 millimeters). The payload is up to 1,000 kilograms. As with the counterparts, all driver assistance systems and comfort features are available. Standard equipment includes a 180-degree panoramic rear-view camera, blind spot warning, and front and rear park pilot. The Apple CarPlay and Android Auto-compatible Multimedia Navi Pro infotainment can be operated via voice recognition or the color touchscreen. The navigation system with a road map for Europe offers dynamic route guidance and TMC messages. Through the OpelConnect app, the vehicle’s heating or cooling can be activated during charging. Additionally, charging times can be programmed via the myOpel app. The model was developed under Opel's leadership for the Stellantis group, highlighting over 20 years of experience in developing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Production also takes place at Opel Special Vehicles (OSV) in Rüsselsheim.