- Commercial vehicle with advanced hydrogen fuel cell technology
- Up to 400 kilometers range according to WLTP 1
- Refuel in just a few minutes
- no compromises when it comes to the space available in the commercial vehicle
Vienna. The Opel Vivaro-e HYDROGEN has met with great interest in Austria. As the first company in Austria, Wiener Netze, a company of Wiener Stadtwerke, decided to test this commercial vehicle with advanced hydrogen/fuel cell technology. The test drives took place in Vienna.
Peter KUHN, Manager Business Development Hydrogen at Opel/Stellantis, drove the test car the approximately 750-kilometer route from Opel's main plant in Rüsselsheim (D) to the test date in Vienna.
The Opel Vivaro-e HYDROGEN represents a milestone in electric mobility, combining the advantages of hydrogen fuel cell technology with the proven versatility of the popular Vivaro van. The commercial vehicle is the ideal solution for fleet customers who want to cover longer distances with their van without emissions or who need to fill up quickly. The electric Opel Vivaro-e HYDROGEN has a hydrogen fuel cell drive with an additional plug-in lithium-ion battery. The technology is housed in such a space-saving manner that the Transporter does not make any compromises in terms of space compared to conventional drive technologies. With a full tank, it can drive up to 400 kilometers (according to WLTP) 1. Refueling with hydrogen only takes a few minutes. In addition, it offers up to 6.1 cubic meters of loading volume and 1,000 kilograms of payload as well as 1,000 kilograms of trailer load. The Opel Vivaro-e HYDROGEN can be built in two lengths, M and L (4,959 and 5,306 millimeters).
Wiener Netze decided to test drive the Opel Vivaro-e HYDROGEN to evaluate the performance and practicability of hydrogen fuel cell technology. The company has a strong interest in sustainable mobility solutions and recognizes the potential of hydrogen fuel cell technology as a forward-looking alternative to conventional combustion engine drive systems. The sister company Wien Energie already operates its own hydrogen filling station in Vienna-Floridsdorf, which can be used by B2B customers and where the Opel Vivaro-e HYDROGEN was also refueled during the test drives.
"As a major commercial vehicle brand in Europe, Opel strives to develop sustainable and innovative technologies for commercial vehicles and to offer them to our customers," said Martin RIHA, Manager Commercial Vehicle Business Unit of Stellantis Austria import organizations. "The Opel Vivaro-e HYDROGEN offers us the opportunity to To bring hydrogen fuel cell technology into everyday use. We are pleased that Wiener Netze has carried out test drives with our Opel Vivaro-e HYDROGEN commercial vehicle and are now looking forward to the evaluation of the vehicle.”
The Opel Vivaro-e HYDROGEN complements Opel's extensive electric offensive. The Opel Vivaro-e HYDROGEN is a pioneering commercial vehicle that takes advantage of hydrogen fuel cell technology. The principle of the Opel Vivaro-e HYDROGEN is simple: the fuel cell generates electricity from hydrogen and air to drive the electric motor. The only product of this reaction is pure water vapor from the exhaust. It is therefore an electric vehicle with zero emissions.
With the plug-in fuel cell concept of the Opel Vivaro-e HYDROGEN, the complete fuel cell system is located under the hood. The drive battery in the underbody of the battery-electric Vivaro‑e is replaced by three 700 bar hydrogen tanks that hold 4.4 kilograms of H2. Without any changes to the body, the battery-electric Vivaro-e becomes a transporter with a fuel cell drive.
The 45 kW fuel cell of the Opel Vivaro-e HYDROGEN delivers enough power for longer journeys on the motorway. The 10.5 kWh lithium-ion battery under the front seats provides support when starting or accelerating and at top speed to cover peak loads. The fuel cell system always works under optimal operating conditions, which increases its service life. In addition, the Opel Vivaro-e HYDROGEN offers the great advantage of a hybrid system: Braking energy can be recovered and fed into the battery as electricity via the electric motor (generator) (recuperation). And thanks to the plug-in option, the battery can also be charged externally if required, so that the vehicle can cover up to 50 kilometers purely on battery power.
The entire drive technology is housed in such a space-saving manner that the Opel Vivaro-e HYDROGEN does not make any compromises in terms of space compared to conventional combustion engines. In addition, with a choice of up to 5.3 (size M) or 6.1 cubic meters (size L), it offers a load compartment that is just as large as the diesel or battery-electric Vivaro variants. The payload is up to 1,000 kilograms. The hydrogen fuel cell transporter can be loaded practically from any side - from the rear or via the side sliding doors.
In addition, the Opel Vivaro-e HYDROGEN - just like its battery-electric and combustion engine counterparts - offers state-of-the-art driver assistance systems and comfort on a par with passenger cars. The standard scope includes the 180-degree panoramic reversing camera, blind spot warning and park pilot for the front and rear. The Apple CarPlay and Android Auto-compatible Multimedia Navi Pro infotainment system can be conveniently operated using voice recognition or the color touchscreen. The navigation with road map for Europe provides dynamic route guidance and TMC messages.
With the Opel Vivaro-e HYDROGEN, Opel is focusing on sustainable electric mobility, since the use of hydrogen technology does not produce any harmful CO2 emissions. This contributes to reducing the CO2 balance and supports the goal of environmentally friendly mobility.
With the Opel Vivaro-e HYDROGEN, companies and organizations can benefit from the advantages of hydrogen fuel cell technology and at the same time make a contribution to environmental protection. It is an innovative solution that combines long range, short refueling times and emission-free mobility, thus representing a promising future for the commercial vehicle sector.
The Opel Vivaro-e HYDROGEN is part of Opel's electric offensive. All commercial vehicles from Opel are also available as 1005 battery electric vehicles.
PHOTO CREDIT:
Photos No. 1 to 6: © Aleksandra Kawka, Vienna
Photos No. 7 and 8: © Opel Automobile, Rüsselsheim
[1] The specified range was determined using the WLTP test procedure (Regulation (EG) No. 715/2007 and VO (EU) No. 2017/1151). The actual range may vary under everyday conditions and depends on various factors, in particular personal driving style, road conditions, outside temperature, use of heating and air conditioning and thermal preconditioning.
Contact:
Mag. Christoph STUMMVOLL, MBA
Manager Communication Stellantis Austria Import
Mobile: +43-(0)676 83 494 300
christoph.stummvoll@stellantis.com
