On 16 July 2025, Stellantis — the group that includes Fiat, Peugeot, Citroën and Opel — announced it was halting its fuel cell technology development programme for powering electric vehicles. It clarified that no hydrogen-powered light commercial vehicles are planned before the decade's end. Previous plans had outlined a production start by summer 2026 for the Pro One hydrogen van range at its Hordain plant in France and in Gliwice, Poland.
According to Stellantis, the decision stems from “the limited availability of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, high capital requirements and the need for greater consumer purchase incentives”. Jean-Philippe Imparato, chief operating officer for the enlarged Europe region, added that “the hydrogen market remains a niche segment, with no prospect of economic sustainability in the medium term. We must make clear and responsible choices to ensure our competitiveness and meet customer expectations through our offensive on electric and hybrid passenger and light commercial vehicles”.
Stellantis’ announcement marks the end of a journey that began over twenty years ago, built on promises of technological revolution, multimillion-euro investments and a long-term vision ultimately hampered by a market still immature and structurally unsuitable. The company’s involvement with hydrogen dates back to 2001, when Opel — then part of General Motors — unveiled the HydroGen1, a prototype based on the Zafira that covered almost 1,400 kilometres in 24 hours across the Arizona desert, setting eleven international records. It was a debut that placed the group among Europe’s hydrogen propulsion pioneers and paved the way for two decades of research led by the Global Alternative Energy Sources Centre. For years the technology remained in the experimental domain, but the commitment was consistent and methodical, with Opel gaining one of the sector’s most significant fuel cell portfolios.
The commercial breakthrough came in 2021 with the launch of Stellantis’ first hydrogen vehicle produced in series: the Opel Vivaro-e Hydrogen. It was a plug-in van combining a rechargeable electric battery with fuel cell technology, offering 400 kilometres of hydrogen range and an additional 50 from electric charge, with refuelling times of just three minutes and unchanged cargo capacity compared to diesel models.
In 2022, Stellantis took another significant step by appointing Jean-Michel Billig as chief technology officer for hydrogen and inaugurating the world’s first plant in Hordain capable of producing hydrogen, electric and internal combustion vehicles on the same assembly line. The plant’s initial production capacity was set at 5,000 units per year, with a target of 100,000 fuel cell vehicles by 2030. To further strengthen its technological position, Stellantis acquired a 33.3% stake in the Symbio joint venture, founded with Michelin and Forvia, aiming for large-scale fuel cell production at a major facility in Saint-Fons.
The vehicle range announced at the time was broad and ambitious. Alongside the Vivaro-e, Stellantis launched the twin models Peugeot e-Expert Hydrogen, Citroën ë-Jumpy Hydrogen, Fiat e-Scudo Hydrogen and larger vans such as the e-Ducato, Movano and ë-Jumper. All shared the same technical concept: fuel cell propulsion supported by an electric battery to extend range and provide greater operational flexibility.
However, the market did not respond. Sales figures remained well below expectations and production capacity. In 2022, only 350 vehicles were sold, against a potential output of 5,000 units. The following year sales rose to around 500, while projections for 2024 indicated just 800 deliveries despite an installed capacity of 15,000. The gap between targets and actual performance became increasingly clear, highlighting the difficulty of economically justifying a programme with such high industrial costs.
One of the main barriers to the technology’s spread was the lack of an adequate refuelling network. Across Europe, fewer than 900 hydrogen stations were operational, mostly concentrated in Germany and France. This made daily use of hydrogen vehicles unfeasible, especially in commercial applications where operational efficiency is vital. Even though production costs dropped significantly — from €130,000 to €75,000 per vehicle — they remained too high compared to battery electric or hybrid vehicles, which have benefited in the meantime from increasingly generous public incentives.
Comparison with competitors makes Stellantis’ strategic shift even more evident. Toyota continues to bet on hydrogen, keeping the Mirai in production and developing fuel cell vans and trucks. Hyundai has adopted a cautious yet steady approach, with models like the Nexo and solutions for heavy-duty transport. Daimler Trucks, on the other hand, has revised its own strategy, much like Stellantis, opting for a multi-energy platform tailored to diverse needs and contexts. Despite withdrawing from the field, Stellantis’ hydrogen programme cannot be deemed a complete failure. The skills developed in hydrogen propulsion, the industrial experience gained and the technological advances achieved may prove valuable in the future, when market conditions and infrastructure make hydrogen a truly viable large-scale alternative.
