Stellantis is scrapping its entire hydrogen fuel-cell development program for light-commercial- vehicle applications and canceling the launch of new hydrogen-powered vans slated for this summer.
In a company statement the automaker says its new range of hydrogen fuel-cell Pro One LCVs will not be launched and production of medium-sized vans at its plant in Hordain, France, and of its large vans at Gliwice, Poland, is halted.
The company blames the move on the limited availability of hydrogen refueling infrastructure, high capital requirements and the need for stronger consumer purchasing incentives from governments.
It also does not anticipate the adoption of hydrogen-powered LCVs before the end of the decade.
Many industry observers will see this as one of the first major moves by new Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa, who is tasked with rebuilding the group’s profitability following the forced departure of Carlos Tavares after a dramatic slump in revenues last year.
Comments by Jean-Philippe Imparato, Stellantis chief operating officer for enlarged Europe, seem to confirm this, saying, “The hydrogen market remains a niche segment, with no prospects of mid-term economic sustainability.”
Others suggest this may spark a similar reappraisal of hydrogen power by other automakers.
However, this is unlikely to influence Japanese manufacturers who have been directed by the government to prepare for a hydrogen-energy future following the scrapping of its nuclear program after the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Stellantis says its latest decision will not impact staffing at its production sites, and R&D activities related to hydrogen technology will be redirected to other projects.
Nonetheless, the move will raise alarm bells for some suppliers who have been investing heavily into hydrogen fuel-cell development as an alternative to the Chinese-dominated battery-electric vehicle sector.
Mahle Powertrain says that while it does not comment on specific decisions by its customers, it remains committed to hydrogen technology.
In an emailed statement to WardsAuto the company says it continues to view “hydrogen as a renewable fuel that can play an essential role in the decarbonization particularly of the transportation sector, with applications both for fuel cells and hydrogen (internal-combustion) engines.”
Bosch tells WardsAuto in an email statement reaffirming its commitment to all “green” powertrain technologies and continuing to invest in hydrogen technology as well as electrified powertrains.
The company adds that it expects the first applications of hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion to be for heavy-duty trucks, saying they expect it will make a convincing solution “… for higher loads and longer distances.”
Bosch also believes the required infrastructure has advantages such as “… a smaller number of strategically placed H2 refueling stations is sufficient to serve central transport routes for commercial vehicles, and fleet operators can install their own refueling stations. From our point of view, the fuel cell technology is mature for widespread use.”
Meanwhile, the future is uncertain for hydrogen fuel-cell specialist Symbio in which Stellantis owns 33.3% after joining with Michelin and Forvia in 2023 to acquire the company.
The automaker constitutes about 80% of Symbio’s revenues and now says it is in discussions with company shareholders to evaluate the current market consequences.
