The Opel Vivaro-e Hydrogen begins its rollout in Europe starting with Miele

A few months ago, the German brand announced the arrival of a hydrogen fuel cell version of the Opel Vivaro-e. The electric variant of this commercial vehicle has been complemented by one that runs on hydrogen. A model that has begun rolling out in Europe, and it is the premium home appliance company Miele that has benefited from the first of these vehicles.

This first unit will be in service in the Rhine-Main area, where it will form part of Miele’s work fleet. The use of this type of commercial vehicle, which does not emit polluting gases but improves the range of battery electric vehicles, is proving to be a good alternative for businesses.

Among their advantages is that they greatly reduce charging time, since they do not need to draw on an electrical connection for several hours. Refilling the hydrogen tank takes about three minutes, making it much more practical to use.

The range of the Opel Vivaro-e Hydrogen reaches 400 kilometres on the hydrogen stored in its tanks. This feeds a 45 kWh fuel cell, which allows the vehicle to carry out its duties without problems. It also features a 10 kWh lithium-ion battery that allows the vehicle to travel a distance of 45 km on the energy stored in it.

This battery allows it to keep all of the vehicle’s systems running without needing to use the hydrogen fuel cell, and it can be recharged externally by connecting it to the grid through an external charger.

Versions and payload capacity

There are two versions of this fuel cell variant, which come in two lengths (M and L) and with a payload capacity of up to 1,000 kg. The equipment of this version consists of the same advanced driver assistance systems found in the electric version of the model.

With this new version, effective progress is made in the development and use of clean commercial vehicles, which are very practical for last-mile deliveries and company fleets. It will soon be marketed in other markets and will reach several European countries.