Stellantis’s World First Mass Production Hydrogen Vehicle Plant
Stellantis is claiming to have opened the first mass production automotive plant able to mass produce hydrogen powered commercial vehicles.
The factory in Hordain, France, will begin series production of Peugeot, Citroën and Opel light commercial vehicles in a hydrogen-powered version equipped with a fuel cell. These hydrogen-powered vehicles will be assembled on the site’s multi-energy line, which already produces the electric and combustion engine versions of the “K-Zero” daily.
Using a reinforced platform from body-in-white onwards, the hydrogen-powered models will then follow the usual stages of paintwork and assembly, on the same production line as combustion engine and electric vehicles, before they enter a new 8,000sqm (26,250sq-ft) facility that focuses solely on the final tuning.
A dedicated team will install the tank, the additional batteries and the fuel cell on a production line that halves the adjustment time compared to the previous small-scale process, where the fuel cell was assembled at a pilot workshop in Rüsselsheim. This industrialization of hydrogen-powered light commercial vehicles, accompanied by €10M ($10.02M) in investments with financial support from the French government, is a new step for the plant, where 43% of models for the Peugeot, Citroën, Opel, Vauxhall, Fiat and Toyota brands are already available in a zero-emission electric version.
The “K-Zero” vehicles with a fuel cell are intended for long-distance freight professionals who require a longer range 250 miles, the fastest possible refuel time about 3 minutes and no compromises on charging capacity.
During his visit to the Hordain site, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, said: “I’m very proud of the work done by the management and employees at Hordain, who have made their site the first in the world to combine three types of energy, made possible by the flexibility of our manufacturing system. Stellantis has succeeded in moving on to the next step in automotive history, in a transition managed in conjunction with our social partners at our 12 industrial sites across seven French regions, where we are proud to have laid historical roots.”
— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in Europe. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_
