Vauxhall Movano Hydrogen Van: A Game-Changer for Sustainable Commercial Transport

The All-New Vauxhall Movano Hydrogen Van

(Posted on 06/01/25)

You may be wondering about the future of hydrogen vehicles, especially since they are not a common sight on the roads. With only around 300 hydrogen cars currently in use across the UK, they remain relatively rare.

Hydrogen vehicles offer exciting potential, with Vauxhall now releasing a hydrogen van. It is set to offer a range of approximately 311 miles and the ability to refuel in just 5 minutes. This quick refuelling time could make hydrogen vans an appealing choice for many businesses. However, the main challenge lies in the lack of public hydrogen refuelling stations in the UK, which limits their accessibility.

Looking ahead to spring 2025, the highly anticipated Vauxhall Movano Hydrogen Van is set to launch with a starting price of £66,450. Currently available in Europe under the Opel badge, the Movano Hydrogen Van will initially be offered in larger configurations, including L3 H2 and L4 H3 models. This development is an exciting step forward for the growing hydrogen vehicle market and could help pave the way for broader adoption across the UK.

The hydrogen variant is approximately £8,000 more expensive than its electric counterpart, but it offers an additional 50 miles of range on a full tank, reaching up to 311 miles. Its 45kW fuel cell is paired with four hydrogen tanks, capable of storing up to 7kg of hydrogen. Refuelling the hydrogen model takes just five minutes, a significant advantage over the electric Movano. By comparison, the electric version, with its 50kW maximum recharge rate, takes around one hour to charge from 0 to 80%.

The hydrogen-powered Movano features an 11kWh battery that powers a single electric motor, delivering 148bhp and 410Nm of torque. The battery can also be charged independently of the hydrogen tanks; however, this process takes significantly longer than refuelling with hydrogen.

The Movano Hydrogen is only available in the Prime trim, which includes premium features such as a 10-inch central touchscreen with satellite navigation, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay. Additional features include a 7-inch driver display, keyless entry, rear parking sensors, dual passenger seats, and two USB ports.

More details regarding the Movano Hydrogen’s payload capacity and performance are expected closer to its release date, along with updates on its twin-cab variant.

What are hydrogen vehicles?

Hydrogen vehicles, also referred to as hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, operate exclusively on hydrogen fuel. These vehicles utilise compressed hydrogen gas, which enters the fuel cell stack within the vehicle. Unlike traditional combustion engines, the fuel cell stack converts the chemical energy of hydrogen into electrical energy, subsequently powering the car's electric motor. Remarkably, the only by-product generated through this process is water.

It will be interesting to see how the adoption of hydrogen vehicles progresses over the coming years, especially in comparison to electric vehicles. Hydrogen offers the advantage of a short refuelling time, but the current lack of refuelling infrastructure remains a challenge.

However, the release of models like the Vauxhall Movano Hydrogen marks a positive step in the right direction, helping to pave the way for wider adoption in the future.