The Vauxhall Movano is set to be the second model in the brand’s range to offer a hydrogen-powered version, with a launch set for as soon as the end of 2025.
The Opel version of the large hydrogen van was shown at the 2024 IAA van show, but it will be Vauxhall that gets the alternative powertrain in the UK. It will come with a driving range of just over 300 miles (500km) and a refuelling time of around five minutes.
Stellantis’s senior vice president for commercial vehicles, Xavier Peugeot, explained to Parkers that the powertrain is a supplementary one, saying: ‘We believe that hydrogen will be answering additional customer needs, not replacing the BEV ones. It brings something else in addition – long distance, fast refuelling for those customers that cannot wait.’
Peugeot accepted that the total range is some way short of the 435 miles (700km) of the new Renault Master H2-Tech hydrogen, but pointed out that the Stellantis vans are ready to go. ‘Of course, there are other competitors announcing more distance, longer distance, I have to say, full respect with what everyone is doing. But to us, this is reality. If you want to purchase a mid sized hydrogen van you can have it tomorrow. It is ready and it will be the same in the coming weeks with the large van.’
UK slightly after European launch
It is likely that the UK will be a little behind the rest of Europe in terms of its launch timing. Head of LCV product and pricing for Stellantis Pro One UK, Brad Miller, previously confirmed that there would be a right-hand drive version of the Movano with hydrogen power from quarter four 2025.
The other Stellantis brands could then follow with their own versions later in the decade, said Miller.
This follows on from the hydrogen Vauxhall Vivaro, which is currently only available in left-hand drive. This remains the case with the updated version.
Time saving benefits
There are notable benefits to hydrogen, despite the current shortcomings of the UK infrastructure, said Miller.
‘If you can home charge or charge at a depot then BEV [batter electric vehicle] is the best solution, but if you have any reliance on the public network then that changes,’ said Miller. He explained that Vauxhall was well placed to be able to assess the needs of commercial vehicle customers and their transition to zero-emission vans by dint of their being the biggest seller in the Stellantis group and therefore having access to more data and case studies.
‘Some fleets are struggling with engineers who can’t home charge and are spending two to three hours a week in a Morrisons car park,’ he said. ‘They are working more hours which is then causing issues with working contracts.’
In instances such as this, the faster recharging time of a hydrogen van – it takes around five minutes to replenish – is more beneficial.
There are currently only a few hydrogen filling stations in the UK, with some points having closed in 2023 due to a lack of demand. However, Miller said that there is due to be a boom in the number offered in the coming years, with two more coming in 2024, one in St Helens and one in Millbrook, Bedfordshire.
He pointed to Element 2’s plans to rapidly increase the number of stations in the UK in the next five years as a big step in the right direction.
‘Element 2 are doing 50 within five years so we are starting to see a national network,’ he said. ‘A lot of customers will gravitate towards the Tees valley [where some of the stations will be.]’
He also said that there will be plans for depot-based solutions for larger companies that want to take on multiple hydrogen vehicles.
Vauxhall Movano hydrogen range and performance
The Movano hydrogen will use a 45kW fuel cell system made by a partner company, Symbio. Alongside this will be an electric motor that can produce 150hp and 410Nm of torque. It will be a kind of hybrid, as it will also feature a small 11kWh battery that can be plugged in. This will provide up to 310 miles of range with a hydrogen recharging time of around five minutes.
The electric battery provides 31 miles of this range, and is the same system from the Peugeot 5008 plug-in hybrid. As well as helping boost range, it also provides a burst of instant torque.
How much will the hydrogen Vauxhall Movano cost and when can I buy one?
Vauxhall expects that the hydrogen Movanos will be limited to businesses rather than private buyers initially but this will likely change in the longer term.
With the launch date still some way off, there has been no firm pricing indication just yet. However, Miller said that it is likely to be more expensive than the electric version, but should bring back some of that investment on a total cost of ownership basis.
