The new Peugeot e‑Expert Hydrogen joins the emerging family of fuel cell-based vans after the Citroen e‑Dispatch Hydrogen and Opel/Vauxhall Vivaro‑e Hydrogen that Stellantis Group unveiled last week.
The powertrain stays electric and emission-free
like before, but the electricity is now gained from a chemical reaction
occurring in hydrogen cells, which eliminates the need to waste time at a
charging station. The main battery powering the motor is rather compact at 10
kilowatt-hours of capacity. Refilling the tanks with gas only takes three
minutes, and you get up to 400 kilometers of range once full.
According to the engineering team behind the
project, buyers enjoy the combined benefits of driving zero-emission vehicles
(the car merely produces some clear water), good driving range, and fast
refueling. Having said that, prices remain to be announced, and hydrogen
vehicles nowadays tend to be priced far above EVs, let alone ICE cars. The
e-Expert Hydrogen has the same cargo department volume as its diesel
counterpart and can transport up to 1 metric ton.
Stellantis believes that the introduction of
this new model will enable buyers to enjoy the widest spectrum of powertrains
possible, from diesel to electric to hydrogen. The latter will be limited to
commercial transports for the time being, however: there will be no passenger
buses or utility vehicles running on the fuel cell tech.
