Stellantis starts production of large hydrogen vans in Poland

MILAN (Reuters) - Stellantis said on Monday it was starting volume production in Europe of large-sized and mid-sized hydrogen fuel cell vans, expanding its range of zero-emission commercial vehicles.

The Franco-Italian automaker said in a statement it would produce the larger vans at its Gliwice plant, in southern Poland, and the mid-sized ones in Hordain, northern France.

The group, which also offers battery electric (BEV) commercial vehicles, has already sold hydrogen mid-sized vans, but so far only through lots for specific large clients.

Stellantis runs Europe's largest commercial vehicle plant, located in the central Italian town of Atessa, which has a production capacity of up to 1,200 large vans per day under its Fiat Professional, Peugeot, Citroen, Opel and Vauxhall brands, as well as for Toyota.

The announcement came as the Italian government crosses swords with Stellantis and its single largest investor Exor, the investment arm of the Agnelli family.

Rome complains that the automaker has sometimes made choices which were against the country's interests, leading to decreased production in Italy.

Stellantis produced around 230,000 vehicles last year in Atessa, versus around 100,000 in Gliwice. In its long term business plan it sees its sales of hydrogen vans topping 10,000 units per year from 2025.

The group said on Monday its hydrogen fuel cell vans offered a range of up to 400 kilometres (250 miles) in their mid-sized version and of up to 500 kilometres for the large-sized one. Refuelling times amount to 4-5 minutes.

(Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari; Editing by Keith Weir)