Hydrogen powered vehicles under the spotlight at CIIE
The Nexo, Hyundai's new hydrogen-powered vehicle.
Electric vehicles are now well known to the public while hydrogen-powered vehicles (HFCV) remain a relatively niche field.
HFCV vehicles, which produce only water vapor on the road, are under the spotlight at the ongoing China International Import Expo.
Foreign experts told a forum on the future of global new-energy vehicles that hydrogen as a new-energy source is challenging but had great potential. Two car companies are showing hydrogen-powered vehicles at the event.
Hyundai is showing its Nexo vehicle, with a powertrain consisting of a hydrogen fuel system, a hydrogen fuel cell, and an electric motor.
Its official launch will be next year.
Hyundai has delivered 14 units to the National Energy Group, which started mass production of hydrogen fuel systems last year.
Toyota is showing its TL Power 150 high-power hydrogen fuel cell system and 260kw+ fuel cell system, which are mainly used in buses and trucks as a green and clean alternative to diesel vehicles.
Hyundai Motor Group's hydrogen-powered bus on display at the CIIE.
The automotive industry is keeping exploring new-energy solutions, with hydrogen vehicles having great potential for development due to their zero emissions high efficiency, and safety.
"China's hydrogen energy development is still facing many challenges, such as industry standards and norms that need to be improved. The hydrogen energy industry chain system is not yet complete, and other issues," said Li Jifeng, director of the climate policy research office of the State Council's development research center.
"In the future, we should accelerate the construction of a standard system and create a complete hydrogen energy industry chain," Li said
In 2022, China released an official medium and long-term plan for the development of the hydrogen energy industry (2021-2035), splitting development of hydrogen vehicles into three phases – initial demonstration, accelerated promotion, and large-scale application.
Next year, according to the plan, the number of hydrogen vehicles in China will reach 50,000; and in 2035, hydrogen-powered vehicles will be fully commercialized.
From January to July this year, China produced 3,673 hydrogen-powered vehicles and sold 3,422, with production and sales increasing by 28 percent and 25.5 percent year on year respectively, according to official data.
