The Miele fleet in Germany has scored a first: a hydrogen fuel cell e-van has gone into service for the premium domestic appliance maker in the Rhine-Main region of Germany.

The Vivaro-e Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle is the first off the Opel production line, offering the Miele fleet a range of 249 miles and a refueling time of just three minutes.

The Vivaro-e Hydrogen van is part of Miele’s decarbonization plans to reduce carbon emissions of its fleet by at least 30 percent worldwide by 2030 compared with the 21,920 tons of CO2-equivalent generated in 2019. Partnering with OEMs such as Opel to test sustainable light commercial vehicles, it has become the first to test the hydrogen fueled commercial vehicle.

Marcus Lott, Opel head of development, said:

“The new Vivaro-e Hydrogen perfectly meets the requirements of fleet customers. The hydrogen van is the ideal solution for driving long distances with zero-emissions-in-use as well as for transporting larger loads without losing time while charging the batteries. The Opel Vivaro-e Hydrogen leads zero-emissions mobility into the future, especially for commercial use.”

Based on the existing battery-electric Opel Vivaro-e, the hydrogen version of the 2021 ‘International Van of the Year’ also carries a 10.5-kWh lithium-ion battery to provide peak power when required, for example, at start-up and under acceleration, allowing the fuel cell to run at optimum operating conditions.

The plug-in capability also allows this battery to be recharged if necessary, providing 31 miles of pure battery electric range.

While the Vivaro-e’s powertrain is unconventional, there’s no compromise on load space, providing up to 5.3 m3 or 6.1 m3 of cargo volume depending on medium wheelbase (4.95 cm) and long wheelbase (5.30 m) choice with up to 1,000 kg of payload - the same as its conventionally powered stablemates.

In the UK, the Vauxhall version of the Stellantis-owned Opel brand is actively speaking to fleets about onboarding the hydrogen van in 2023 when the right-hand drive version becomes available. The van made its UK debut at the CV Show in September, alongside the world debuts of the electric Movano-e and Combo-e, giving Vauxhall a zero emission alternative across its light commercial range.

The hydrogen Vivaro-e is being built at the Russelsheim facility in Germany.