Premiere: Opel presents new Vivaro HYDROGEN at the “Showcase Day: Hydrogen Mobility” in Munich

• New Vivaro HYDROGEN: For the first time with Opel Vizor and class-leading assistance systems
• Hydrogen advantages: Long range, locally emission-free operation, short refueling stops, independence from the electricity and charging grid
• 40 percent cheaper than its predecessor: New Vivaro HYDROGEN available to order soon, starting at €71,500 (RRP excl. VAT)
• Advancing hydrogen mobility: Conference at the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs with expert contributions and vehicle exhibition

How is hydrogen mobility developing? Which successful pilot projects and vehicles are paving the way to a profitable hydrogen future? And how can an efficient hydrogen infrastructure be created? These and other topics were the focus of yesterday's "Showcase Day: Hydrogen Mobility" in Munich . Dr. Lars Peter Thiesen, Head of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Introduction Strategy, spoke on behalf of Opel and Stellantis about "Light Commercial Vehicles with Hydrogen" at the symposium. The event was under the patronage of State Minister Hubert Aiwanger and was opened by State Secretary Tobias Gotthardt in the Bavarian State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy. Opel also presented the new Opel Vivaro HYDROGEN for the first time there . The hydrogen vehicle with fuel cell combines all the advantages of locally emission-free technology with the stylish design of the latest Vivaro generation with Opel Vizor and class-leading assistance systems.

In his speech, Gotthardt emphasized the importance of hydrogen: "With hydrogen, we are advancing the energy transition without driving industry into the ground. So far, one side has faced uncertainty about whether it will find buyers for its green hydrogen, while the other side needs a secure and comprehensive infrastructure to replace fossil fuels with hydrogen. Our hydrogen strategy addresses precisely these issues. We see advantages for hydrogen over other technologies, especially in freight and passenger transport."

Opel and Stellantis underscore this with the appropriate vehicles and drivetrains: "We at Opel and Stellantis were the first manufacturers to bring light commercial vehicles with hydrogen fuel cell propulsion to the road. Opel Vivaro HYDROGEN now offers all the advantages of the previous generation plus a fresh look – all at significantly reduced prices for customers," says Thiesen. The starting price for the new Opel Vivaro HYDROGEN, which will soon be available to order, is around €71,500 (RRP excl. VAT) – around 40 percent lower than before.

Development goal: Independent, locally emission-free mobility without compromise

Following the launch of the latest Opel Vivaro generation last year, the all-round commercial vehicle is now, for the first time, also enriching the portfolio as a hydrogen vehicle with a fuel cell. The advantages of this technology are manifold: With its combination of hydrogen fuel cell drive and plug-in battery, Opel Vivaro HYDROGEN can travel more than 400 kilometers on a full tank (according to WLTP 1). Compared to battery-electric drives, colder outside temperatures have hardly any impact on the range. Refueling with hydrogen takes just a few minutes. And thanks to the space-saving, compact design of the drive components, customers do not have to compromise on loading capacity. Like its model brothers, the hydrogen transporter offers up to 6.1 cubic meters of loading volume and a one-ton payload.

This makes it the ideal locally emission-free commercial vehicle option for anyone who uses their fleets intensively or requires a long range, and therefore cannot switch to battery-electric models due to their operating model. "For example, service technicians who take their vehicle home in the evening but cannot charge it there, as well as companies that don't have the necessary connection power from the electrical grid to charge large fleets, need the classic filling station model," explains Thiesen. "This is precisely where a key advantage of our hydrogen vehicles such as Opel Vivaro HYDROGEN and Movano HYDROGEN lies : They make users independent of the electricity and charging grid."

Perspective: Development of an economical hydrogen filling station network

The significant reduction in vehicle prices was made possible by the fact that, with the transition to the new generation, the fuel cell vans are now also being produced at the corresponding Stellantis plants. Making the vehicles more economical for customers through the further development of hydrogen technology and series production is just one of Opel and Stellantis' goals in advancing the locally emission-free mobility alternative. "To date, Opel Vivaro HYDROGEN vehicles have already covered a total of more than two million kilometers. This demonstrates our experience with this technology and that we offer the right solutions with our products," says Thiesen.

The same requirements also apply to the Europe-wide development of an attractive yet efficient refueling station infrastructure – another aspect of the "Showcase Day: Hydrogen Mobility." For example, the EU is pushing for the expansion of the public hydrogen refueling station network with the "Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation" (AFIR), which is binding for all member states. It stipulates the construction of hydrogen stations every 200 kilometers along major highways and at intersections. From today's approximately 150 public 700 bar refueling stations, the number is expected to grow to at least 500 by 2030. However, these stations must also be economically viable in the long term, meaning that enough hydrogen-powered vehicles must use a refueling station every day. This is the only way to ensure the sustainable, broad-based market success of fuel cell vehicles.

"To achieve this, it makes sense to establish so-called hydrogen ecosystems in addition to basic coverage and to increasingly establish filling stations at these locations – for example, around large cities with many hydrogen consumers," Thiesen continues. "Implementing this task cannot be accomplished overnight, but with our know-how, our drive solutions, and our vehicles at Opel and Stellantis, we are continuously driving the development of hydrogen mobility forward as a pioneer, together with the other stakeholders involved in this process."

[1] The stated range was determined using the WLTP test procedures (Regulation (EC) No. 715/2007 and Regulation (EU) No. 2017/1151). The actual range may vary under everyday conditions and depends on various factors, in particular personal driving style, road conditions, outside temperature, use of heating and air conditioning, and thermal preconditioning.

Diversity Counts: How Opel models meet Women's Demands

• Women Perspective Panel: Female perspectives accompany the development process of new Opel vehicles
• Visible results: All-New Opel Grandland makes requirements such as a pleasant driving behaviour, top ergonomics and good all-round visibility become real
• International Women's Day on March 8: Diversity and equality have a long tradition at Opel

March 8 is International Women's Day. However, diversity, inclusion and equality are not only a top priority at Opel on this annual day of celebration. Instead these principles are a fundamental part of the corporate culture. The women's perspective always plays a key role in the development of new models – for the benefit of all drivers and passengers as well as for the success of the brand. This is also demonstrated by all-new Opel Grandland.

Women Perspective Panel at Opel: It is all about perspective

Women sometimes have different expectations of cars than men. In order to fulfil these expectations, the Women Perspective Panels (WPPs) have been in place for many years. For each vehicle, a dedicated women's team accompanies the vehicle development process which is an integral part at Opel.

“In the Women Perspective Panel, we bring together female colleagues reflecting many perspectives and life experiences. These are women of different ages and physiques as well as from a wide range of professions at Opel. This team is to provide impetus for the new Opel model to be developed based on their own personal experience,” said Nina Thiele, President Women of Stellantis Germany.

The concept of the Women Perspective Panels has been established for years in all new models. Within various events such as workshops, benchmark and target group analyses as well as test drives, the women have the opportunity to contribute their voices throughout the development process, to change perspectives, to accompany internal steps and follow the implementation of their suggestions.

Design, functionality and quality: Comprehensive WPP support

Thus, in the case of the new Opel Grandland the WPP influenced from the very beginning how the top-of-the-line SUV should be rolled out to customers at market launch. First, the women were able to test various competitor models and thus gain valuable insights into their strengths and weaknesses – all with the aim of identifying potential improvements in the development of all-new Opel Grandland. The feedback from WPP members on design drafts for the future Opel Grandland was also requested to collect further aesthetic and functional demands.

A special ergonomics and storage workshop then focussed on questions such as: ‘What do we really need?’, ‘How can we make optimal use of the storage space?’ and ‘How can even small people easily reach all the storage compartments?’ The results of the workshop were also directly incorporated into further development. Even a WPP report was created with detailed key aspects, the so-called Key Performance Index. “This KPI was shared with various teams involved in the vehicle development process and could be compared with the results again and again throughout the entire project period,” emphasised Nina Thiele.

Always involved: WPP contributes to top result of all-new Opel Grandland

For all-new Opel Grandland, the central demands of the Women Perspective Panel taken from this workshop were:

• When it comes to interior quality, high-quality materials and clean finish are crucial.
• Camera systems with cleaning functions contribute to improved all-round visibility.
• Ergonomics: People of all heights and physiques should feel comfortable in the car.
• Storage options: In the interior, practical and easily accessible storage compartments, especially in the centre console, are important. The boot must be easily accessible and flexible to use via a flat loading sill.
• Driving characteristics: Smooth driving behaviour provides a good, safe driving experience with a high level of comfort.
• Light signature: In addition, illuminated brand emblems such as the Opel Blitz are a real eye-catcher.

In order to be able to assess the development progress achieved, the WPP members were able to drive prototypes again and again during the process and give their feedback. The result: “Mission accomplished: Thanks to our input, we were able to bring many aspects to all-new Opel Grandland that are important not only for women, but also for all drivers. These include the pleasant feeling of space in all seats as well as the good steering wheel positioning, the high-quality interior and a great driving experience. The effective rear ventilation including optional seat heating also contributes to the feel-good ambience in all-new Opel Grandland,” summarises Nina Thiele.

In this way, the Women Perspective Panel has also played a decisive role in ensuring that the new Opel Grandland has impressed both experts and customers since its premiere and has been awarded prestigious titles such as the ‘2024 Golden Steering Wheel’1. The Women Perspective Panel and all- new Grandland are perfect examples of how team spirit works at Opel and how a wide variety of perspectives contribute to the success of new models – and this every day.

[1] AUTO BILD edition 46/2024 and BILD am SONNTAG edition 45/2024, category ‘Best car under 50,000 euros’.

Opel rocks February with +90.6% and doubles its total market share in Austria

• + 90.6 percent 1 increase in the overall market 2 in February 2025
• +95.7 percent 1 increase in passenger cars
• +73 percent 1 increase in commercial vehicles
• Doubling of the total market share 2 to 3.6 percent 1

Opel rocked the Austrian automobile market again in February. The increase in new registrations on the Austrian market as a whole 2 is +90.6 percent 1 compared to the same month last year. 791 new Opels, of which 161 were light commercial vehicles (+73 percent 1) and 630 passenger cars (+95.7 percent 1) found satisfied customers in February.

The total market share was simply doubled: to 3.6 percent 1 (+1.8 percentage points)

Judith Porstner, Managing Director of Opel Austria, said: "Opel is back and I'm very happy about that. We saw a declining market in February, but Opel is clearly bucking the trend, both with cars and commercial vehicles. We are also seeing more demand from companies that want to renew their vehicle fleets. That is a good sign and makes us positive for the coming months. With the new Opel Grandland, Opel Mokka and Opel Frontera models, as well as the Opel Corsa, the Opel Astra and our three commercial vehicles, we are a full-range supplier and can offer the right vehicles and engines for all requirements. If desired, we can also offer a completely electrified fleet."

[1] Note: Source: Statistics Austria. The sales figures and market shares given are estimated data.

[2] Total market = passenger cars + light commercial vehicles

[3] The values ​​of a vehicle depend not only on the efficient use of fuel by the vehicle, but are also influenced by driving behavior and other non-technical factors.