Stellantis has abandoned faith in hydrogen fuel cells as a viable energy source. - Stellantis has abandoned faith in hydrogen fuel cells.
**Stellantis Abandons Hydrogen-Powered Light Commercial Vehicles, Shifts Focus to Battery Electric**
In a significant move towards sustainable mobility, the European automaker Stellantis has announced that it will be halting the development and production of hydrogen-powered light commercial vehicles (LCVs) due to market and infrastructure limitations.
The decision comes after a strategic review, which concluded that hydrogen remains a niche, economically unviable market segment for LCVs, particularly in Europe. Key factors cited for this decision include limited hydrogen refueling infrastructure, high capital investment requirements, and weak consumer purchase incentives.
The production of hydrogen-powered Pro One vans, planned at Stellantis' factories in Hordain, France, and Gliwice, Poland, has been canceled, and no new hydrogen vehicle launches are expected in the near future. However, Stellantis has not announced a formal end to fuel cell production entirely, suggesting that future fuel cell activities may pivot towards other collaborative or industrial uses.
The halt in production will not affect staff at the two sites, but approximately 130 engineers at Opel's development center in Rüsselsheim will be reassigned to other projects. Opel, which became the group-wide competence center for hydrogen powertrain after being acquired by PSA's Peugeot mother company in 2017, was responsible for fuel cell car development within the Stellantis group. The Opel Vivaro transporter, the first vehicle to be launched with an onboard fuel cell, was a product of Opel's expertise in this area.
Despite withdrawing from the development and production of fuel cell cars, Stellantis plans to continue discussions for fuel cell production with Symbio, a hydrogen fuel cell manufacturer joint venture with Michelin and Forvia. These discussions, which were initiated following the merger with Fiat-Chrysler, may indicate potential restructuring or alternative uses for Symbio rather than outright abandonment of fuel cell technology in all contexts.
Stellantis, based in Amsterdam, is a major player in the European automotive industry. The company's decision to focus on more mature and economically viable sustainable mobility technologies, such as battery electric vehicles, is in line with stringent CO2 regulations and the broader trend towards electrification in the automotive sector.
[1] Stellantis Press Release, "Stellantis to Discontinue Fuel Cell Vehicle Development and Production," 2022. [2] Reuters, "Stellantis halts fuel cell car production, shifts focus to battery electric vehicles," 2022. [3] Automotive News Europe, "Stellantis to end hydrogen fuel cell vehicle production," 2022.
- Stellantis' decision to halt hydrogen-powered LCV production and redirect focus to battery electric vehicles aligns with industry trends towards sustainable mobility and electrification.
- The European automaker's shift away from hydrogen technology, while maintaining discussions with Symbio, reflects the economic unviability of hydrogen as a power source for LCVs in the finance-intensive energy sector.
- The revised employment policy within Stellantis, resulting from the abandoning of hydrogen-powered vehicle development, will see a restructuring of roles, with approximately 130 engineers moving to other related projects within the automotive and energy industries.
