The basis of the hydrogen-powered Opel Vivaro-e Hydrogen is the regular electric Opel Vivaro-e. Instead of a large traction battery (75 kWh), it has three hydrogen tanks at 700 bar, a compact 10.5-kilowatt-hour battery, and a 45-kilowatt energy converter (which generates electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen). The battery itself is designed for 50 km of range, but the van's total range is 400 km on the WLTP cycle, which is 70 km more than the purely electric Vivaro.
The refueling time for the Opel Vivaro-e Hydrogen is 3 minutes. This is its main advantage: the new model is aimed at those who need to drive a lot but don't have time for long charging.
The motor in the hydrogen Vivaro is the same as in the electric version – 136 hp and 260 Nm. At the same time, in terms of practicality, the Vivaro-e Hydrogen is not inferior to either the battery version or gasoline/diesel counterparts: it offers the same cargo space volume, from 5.3 to 6.1 cubic meters (depending on the version – with standard wheelbase or extended). The payload is 1100 kg.
Interestingly, the Opel Vivaro-e Hydrogen is not a concept but a fully production vehicle. It will go on sale in European markets this autumn.
