Stellantis Pulls Plug on Hydrogen Van Plans

Stellantis Pulls Plug on Hydrogen Van Plans​

No Mid-Term Future for Hydrogen Tech as Stellantis Doubles Down on EVs and Hybrids​

In a major shift for its future product strategy, Stellantis has officially announced it’s discontinuing its hydrogen fuel cell development program. The move puts an end to the company’s plans to launch hydrogen-powered Pro One commercial vans in Europe, which were slated to enter series production this summer at plants in Hordain, France, and Gliwice, Poland.

Stellantis Pulls Plug on Hydrogen Van Plans

Stellantis pulls the plug on hydrogen van plans, citing high costs and lack of refueling stations as key challenges ahead.

moparinsiders.com

 

[patfromigh]

Hydrogen fuel isn't the most economical fuel because it takes more energy to produce than the energy we get out of it. Hydrogen fuel cells worked well in Iceland because that country has such abundant thermal energy to generate heat and electricity from.

The narrative has steadily been about saving the planet by using battery electric power with rare earth minerals supplied by China. Our country should have been researching thermal energy in Hawaii where there is abundant thermal energy also available. Instead all of financial resources seem to have gone to California where the conclusion seems to have been internal combustion is bad and only battery electric can save us.

America has a lot of natural gas, and there is already a refueling network in place for heavy duty trucks found in many locations across America. So why haven't we seen automotive fuel cells using natural gas instead of hydrogen?

 

[bill burke]

Once again the green dreamers contingent, with their heads in the clouds, ignore reality and with a swipe of their magic wand, engage in an effort that is impractical and costly. More money down a rabbit hole that could have been used to design and build a next generation fire breathing Hemi V-8. Alice in Wonderland thinking and magic wand policy making once again makes fools out of corporate decision makers and billions go down the drain. Pulling the plug on something anyone with a clue could have told you was a pipe dream was the right move. Time for what is feasible and not what some fairy dust congers up.

 

[patfromigh]

Once again the green dreamers contingent, with their heads in the clouds, ignore reality and with a swipe of their magic wand, engage in an effort that is impractical and costly. More money down a rabbit hole that could have been used to design and build a next generation fire breathing Hemi V-8. Alice in Wonderland thinking and magic wand policy making once again makes fools out of corporate decision makers and billions go down the drain. Pulling the plug on something anyone with a clue could have told you was a pipe dream was the right move. Time for what is feasible and not what some fairy dust congers up.

The idea of using a fuel cell as a range extender was and is with pursuing. Using hydrogen fuel in the fuel cell isn't practical for most situations. I'm not a chemist, but while hydrogen as a fuel is highly impractical due to its low density and containment, adding one carbon molecule to Hydrogen solves many of the issues. Nature has already done that for us with natural gas.

Speaking of money down the rabbit hole, how about another examination of the Archer Aviation hookup. Stellantis has poured close to a half Billion into that.

 

[vbondjr1]

Balancing it all out with hybrids wouldn't be the worst idea

 

[bill burke]

The idea of using a fuel cell as a range extender was and is with pursuing. Using hydrogen fuel in the fuel cell isn't practical for most situations. I'm not a chemist, but while hydrogen as a fuel is highly impractical due to its low density and containment, adding one carbon molecule to Hydrogen solves many of the issues. Nature has already done that for us with natural gas.

Speaking of money down the rabbit hole, how about another examination of the Archer Aviation hookup. Stellantis has poured close to a half Billion into that.

It’s not the fuel and it’s not the engineering technology created, it’s the practicality, lack of infrastructure and the overwhelmingly convenient and availability of gas powered vehicle most folks want. Indeed Archer Air would go on my “Alice in Wonderland” list of elites dreams gone amuck. Dodge Daytona comes to mind too. It’s the arrogant decision makers that causes the regular folks to gag.