Stellantis has discontinued its hydrogen gasoline cell know-how growth program, citing restricted refueling infrastructure, excessive capital necessities, and inadequate client buying incentives. The automotive producer introduced it doesn’t anticipate hydrogen-powered gentle industrial automobiles to achieve traction earlier than the top of the last decade.
The choice means Stellantis will cancel the launch of its new hydrogen-powered Professional One car vary, which was scheduled to start manufacturing this summer season. Manufacturing was deliberate to start out at services in Hordain, France for medium-sized vans and Gliwice, Poland for big vans.
“In a context the place the Firm is mobilizing to answer demanding CO2 rules in Europe, Stellantis has determined to discontinue its hydrogen gasoline cell know-how growth program,” mentioned Jean-Philippe Imparato, Chief Working Officer for Enlarged Europe. “The hydrogen market stays a distinct segment section, with no prospects of mid-term financial sustainability. We should clarify and accountable selections to make sure our competitiveness and meet the expectations of our prospects with our electrical and hybrid passenger and light-weight industrial automobiles offensive.”
The corporate confirmed that staffing at manufacturing websites will stay unaffected, with analysis and growth actions associated to hydrogen know-how being redirected to different tasks. Stellantis has additionally initiated discussions with shareholders of Symbio to judge market penalties and protect the corporate’s pursuits.
Stellantis presently presents a hydrogen gasoline cell model of the big Vauxhall Movano within the UK, with the mid-size Vivaro van initially scheduled to launch later this 12 months. Each automobiles can be found in left-hand drive markets underneath the corporate’s Professional One van umbrella, which incorporates Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat and Vauxhall manufacturers.
“It’s not the correct time to push hydrogen. There isn’t any funding in incentives and infrastructure, so we’re not pushing it commercially,” mentioned Fedele Ragusa, Stellantis senior product supervisor, talking to Fleet Information.
The transfer represents a part of a broader evaluate of the corporate’s international decarbonization technique, which has shifted away from the earlier goal of turning into 100% zero emission by 2030, a aim launched by former CEO Carlos Tavares.
As an alternative, Stellantis is specializing in a multi-energy technique combining full electrical and inside combustion engines, plus “one thing within the center,” based on Ragusa. This intermediate possibility is more likely to be plug-in hybrid or vary extender know-how.
“We’re not prepared but, however it’s a change in comparison with the previous,” Ragusa mentioned. “We expect that hybridisation is an effective possibility.”
The corporate is prioritizing battery electrical car enhancements, specializing in cell effectivity, lightness and vitality density. Stellantis has upgraded the AC charging capabilities on its vans to 22kW as customary, matching the kind of chargers fleets are putting in at depots. An entire cost can now be achieved in six hours, half the time of the earlier 11kW resolution.
