Stellantis launches fuel cell drive for vans as plug-in hybrid

Light System: Entire Vehicle Under Two Tons

Additionally, the medium-sized Proton-Exchange-Membrane System (PEM) is relatively light and can be placed within the EMP2 chassis instead of the diesel engine and in addition to the well-known 100 kW electric motor (260 Nm) under the hood, promoting the concept. The entire vehicle, with this solution, remains under the magical two-ton mark at 1,952 and 1,975 kilograms and would thus be lighter than the pure BEV with a 50 or 75 kWh battery.

A lithium-ion battery with a 10.5 kWh capacity is coupled, which is intended to provide 50 kilometers of purely battery-electric range and can be recharged using an 11 kW AC charger, taking about an hour. The vehicle always starts in BEV mode and uses the battery-electric mode for peak performance. In addition to the range, the manufacturer also points to the unrestricted winter suitability due to the high heating performance of the fuel cell as another advantage.

For the Remaining Customers with Range Demands

It was found that while 83 percent of customers drive no more than 200 kilometers a day and 44 percent generally never cover more than 300 kilometers, explained Stellantis-LCV head Xavier Peugeot about the concept. Nevertheless, there remains a clientele that requires both higher range and high performance, and to whom one still wants to offer an electric and emissions-free option. For this, the hybrid concept of a medium-sized fuel cell and battery-electric drive is seen as ideal.

Compared to fuel-cell range-extender concepts with a larger battery and weaker fuel cell, significantly better performance is noted. We've combined the best of two worlds in one concept, says Carla Gohin, Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at Stellantis. Moreover, this is not another concept or study, but a production-ready product that is expected to be launched this year, announced the manufacturer further.

Made in Germany: Rüsselsheim as the Center, Supported by the BMVI

The development was supported under the leadership and production of Opel Special Vehicles in Rüsselsheim, among other parties, also receiving 5.6 million euros from the Federal Ministry of Transport. However, the partners have not yet provided information about the vehicle's price. Further scaling through the recently merged Fiat-Chrysler group was not ruled out, nor was a later transfer to the passenger car sector. The initial focus, however, is on the B2B segment and on customers for whom a BEV is not sufficient. Everything else also depends on the expansion of the H2 infrastructure.