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By Jonathan Crouch

Vauxhall adds the option of hydrogen power for its Movano large van - with a little help from its French parent group. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 42

Vauxhall's Movano offers the widest choice of powertrains in the large van segment, with the most unusual of the bunch being this hydrogen-powered model. You'll need easy access to fuelling to consider it but if you have that, it's worth a look.

Backgroundword count: 147

The motor industry has long had a more environmentally friendly fuelling alternative to electric power - hydrogen; it hasn't followed it. But that doesn't mean you can't. And if you're running a fleet of vans, especially large heavy ones, the environmental difference you could make by switching to hydrogen is significant. Vauxhall thinks that there are enough business people thinking like this to make it worth launching this model, the hydrogen-fuelled version of its largest LCV, the Movano. Vauxhall parent company Stellantis has been working on hydrogen powertrains for 20 years and Vauxhall's sister brand Opel has been selling a hydrogen version of the mid-sized Vivaro in Europe for some time; that was the first commercially available production hydrogen van. Encouraged by the take-up, in early 2024 Vauxhall began Vivaro Hydrogen customer trials in the UK, leading to the launch of this Movano Hydrogen in late 2024.

Driving Experienceword count: 185

Equipped with an electric motor producing maximum power of 150PS and 410Nm of torque, the Movano Hydrogen aims to offer smooth and efficient performance. The Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell, rated at 45kW maximum power, is paired with four high-pressure cylindrical hydrogen tanks capable of storing 7kg of hydrogen at 700 bar operating pressure. With a range of 311 miles (WLTP), the Movano Hydrogen goes further without stopping than the Movano Electric (which manages up to 260 miles between charges from its 110kWh battery). It's a heavy old powertrain - but then, so is that of the EV. And that weight doesn't matter so much in a large van; in fact, it rather helps to settle it when unladen. As usual with this Vauxhall, the electric power steering automatically adjusts the assistance to the speed of the vehicle. This increases driving comfort at higher speeds and makes manoeuvring in the city more comfortable. As with any ordinary Movano, this one can be had with the usual camera safety features. And an optional 'City Plus Pack' adds Blind spot assist and rear cross path detection.

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