Are There Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles in China?
4 Answers
Currently, there are no hydrogen-powered vehicles in China. Here is some information about hydrogen-powered vehicles: 1. Advantages: Hydrogen energy has the benefits of abundant reserves, high efficiency, no greenhouse gas emissions, ease of storage and transportation, and high safety, making it considered the ultimate solution for future energy replacement. 2. Reasons for the absence of hydrogen-powered vehicles in China: China has a vast territory, and building hydrogen refueling stations extensively, like in Japan, is extremely difficult and costly. It is foreseeable that before breakthroughs in controlled nuclear fusion technology, hydrogen production as an energy source will remain a less economical choice, and relying on hydrogen to replace fossil fuels is unrealistic.
Last time I went to the Guangzhou Auto Show, I saw several domestic hydrogen-powered vehicles with my own eyes, and GAC's Aion hydrogen energy vehicle was particularly eye-catching. The staff even let me sit inside to experience it, saying it has a range of over 600 kilometers and refueling with hydrogen takes just three minutes, much faster than charging. But to be honest, there are still too few hydrogen refueling stations now—I’ve only seen two in Shenzhen, mainly used for logistics vehicles and buses. The country is promoting hydrogen energy demonstration city clusters, and infrastructure is being built in places like Shanghai and Guangzhou. I hope that in five years, ordinary consumers like us can afford such cars, after all, zero emissions with only water vapor as the byproduct is just too cool.
Recently conducted research in this field for a report shows that hydrogen-powered vehicles in China are mainly concentrated in the commercial vehicle sector. Yutong Bus delivered over 300 hydrogen fuel cell buses to Zhengzhou last year, while Dongfeng Motor's hydrogen-powered logistics vehicles have completed 80,000 kilometers of real-world testing in Wuhan Economic Development Zone. In the passenger vehicle segment, SAIC Maxus has mass-produced models delivered to the business leasing market, but options for individual consumers remain limited. The key bottleneck is the persistently high cost of hydrogen storage tanks, making each vehicle over 100,000 RMB more expensive than electric counterparts. Fortunately, the government provides a 200,000 RMB subsidy per vehicle, and Sinopec plans to build 1,000 hydrogen refueling stations by 2025.
My neighbor Uncle Zhang drives a hydrogen-powered logistics vehicle and often complains about the pressures of transportation work these days. While it's convenient that a 5-minute hydrogen refill can cover 400 kilometers, hydrogen stations in the Yangtze River Delta region often have long queues. Last week, his truck's fuel cell system malfunctioned, and the only repair facility in Zhejiang province was in Hangzhou. However, he mentioned that emissions inspections by environmental protection bureaus are particularly hassle-free, unlike diesel vehicles which always worry about exceeding standards. Now, the hydrogen buses used in the Beijing Winter Olympics have been transferred to public transport companies, and government agencies are also purchasing such vehicles.
