The Stellantis Group has announced that it will discontinue its development program for hydrogen fuel cell technology. Due to the limited availability of hydrogen refueling infrastructure, high capital requirements, and the need for stronger consumer purchase incentives, the company does not expect hydrogen-powered light commercial vehicles to become widely established before the end of the decade. As a result, Stellantis
will not launch its new range of hydrogen-powered Pro One vehicles this year. Series production was scheduled to begin this summer in Hordain, France (medium-sized vans), and Gliwice, Poland (large vans).
"In a context where the company is positioning itself to respond to challenging CO2 regulations in Europe, Stellantis has decided to discontinue its development program for hydrogen fuel cell
technology," explains Jean-Philippe Imparato, Chief Operating Officer for Enlarged Europe. "The hydrogen market remains a niche segment with no prospects for medium-term economic sustainability. We must make clear and responsible decisions to ensure our competitiveness and meet the expectations of our customers with our offensive on electric and hybrid passenger and light commercial vehicles."
This decision will not affect staff
at Stellantis production sites. R&D activities related to hydrogen technology will be redirected to other projects. The current state of the hydrogen segment also poses financial challenges for various stakeholders. In this context, Stellantis has initiated discussions with the shareholders of Symbio to assess the current market impacts and to safeguard Symbio's best interests in line with their respective commitments.
