China is working to advance its green transition drive by promoting trucks run on hydrogen, a convenient and clean-burning fuel.
The latest data showed that in the first seven months of this year, sales of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles reached 3,422, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 25.5 percent.
Not long ago, China has officially launched its longest hydrogen energy corridor, which stretches from Beijing to Shanghai. This corridor spans five provinces and cities, covering a total distance of over 1,200 kilometers.
Hydrogen-powered trucks are more advantageous in terms of mobility and environmental protection compared with electric vehicles and conventional gasoline powered vehicles, according to drivers.
"It takes around 10 minutes to fill up. Once fully charged, the truck's maximum driving range is about 600 to 700 kilometers," said Shang Miaolei, a truck driver.
The byproduct of emission from hydrogen-powered trucks is water vapor, which is a natural component of the atmosphere and pollutant-free.
The interior of the hydrogen-powered heavy-duty truck is similar to that of a conventional truck. However, since it does not have an internal combustion engine, the vehicle operates less noisy and emits no pollutants.
"Compared to gasoline fueled vehicles, hydrogen-powered heavy trucks are more powerful and have better stabilization system. Its driving range is also longer than electric trucks," said Shang.
A staff member from Angu hydrogen fueling station in Daxing District of Beijing introduced the process of hydrogen fueling.
"Hydrogen fueling begins by first attaching an electrostatic clamp to the vehicle to discharge any static electricity. And the operators must also release static charge from their body. Since hydrogen is a compressed gas, the fueling gun is quite heavy. This is a hydrogen detector used to monitor for any gas leaks during the fueling process. Then we just turn it on," said Wang Yi, a staff member from the station.
According to the staff member, a large truck can be filled with nearly 60 kilograms of hydrogen in about 20 minutes. The cost is around 2,000 yuan (around 282 U.S. dollars), enabling the truck to travel over 600 kilometers.
Many hydrogen-powered trucks and cold chain logistics vehicles were spotted on the corridor, with nearly 20 hydrogen fueling stations established along this route.
China strives to advance green transition with trucks run on green hydrogen
