Peugeot has just revealed its E-Expert Hydrogen, the first hydrogen fuel cell van available today. Its powertrain is identical to the Peugeot E-Expert BEV, but instead of having the big 75 kWh battery, it instead has a smaller 10.5 kWh pack and tanks (located in the floor of the vehicle) capable of storing 4.4 kg of hydrogen under pressure.
With a full load of hydrogen, the E-Expert FCV has a claimed WLTP range of 400 km (248 miles), more than the E-Expert BEV whose range is 340 km (211 miles). Refuelling the vehicle takes around 3 minutes, but you can also just charge the battery at up to 11 kW thanks to an on-board charger.
Peugeot doesn’t mention the range on batteries sans the aid of the fuel cell providing power, but it’s probably around a seventh of the E-Expert BEV’s claimed range, so around 50 km (31 miles).
Gallery: Peugeot e-Expert Hydrogen
Power is sent to a single front motor that makes 136 horsepower and 260 Nm (191 pound-feet) of torque. It has the exact same interior load volume as the BEV variant, as well as 1,100 kg (2,425-pound) payload and a towing limit of 1,000 kg (2,200 pounds).
The manufacturer notes that under normal operation, the van relies on current stored in its battery pack. It’s only under harder acceleration, or when going up an incline that the fuel cell kicks in to provide electricity; it otherwise only works when the state of charge is low. The vehicle does, of course, have regenerative braking that recuperates electricity when slowing down.
Peugeot also notes that all the hydrogen used to power this vehicle will be sourced from France, although it’s not clear where it will be made available. The vehicle will be built in France, then sent to Rüsselsheim, Germany, the home of Opel, where it will be converted to run on hydrogen.
Sales were supposed to begin late last year, but it's not actually on sale yet. Stellantis, the company that owns Peugeot, recently organized the media drive event for the hydrogen van (also available as the Opel/Vauxhall Vivaro-E Hydrogen) where participants found the vehicles quite compelling.
