The province’s first hydrogen fuel-cell bus was delivered for use in the economic development zone in Rugao County recently.
Compared with electric buses that have been widely promoted, hydrogen fuel cell buses have many advantages such as long driving range, high energy density, short refueling time, and high safety performance with particular advantages for long-distance and large-scale passenger transport vehicles.
Rugao is one of the regions that have pioneered hydrogen energy industry. At present, the county has nearly 20 hydrogen energy companies with a complete hydrogen energy industry chain.
Five more hydrogen fuel-cell buses will be put into use in Rugao in the second half of this year.
In November 2015, the Chinese government announced that it plans to build hydrogen infrastructure to support about 50,000 zero-emissions fuel-cell cars by 2025, rapidly growing to 1 million by 2030.
This plan will require China to build 300 hydrogen refueling stations by 2025 and 1,000 by 2030. In China, sales of so-called new energy vehicles—which include hybrids, battery-electric cars and fuel-cell vehicles—are subsidized with attractive consumer incentives, as well as perks such as free parking and lower license fees.
China’s eastern economic powerhouse Shanghai will promote the use of hydrogen-fueled cars in the public service sector from next year, Xinhua News Agency reported in April this year.
The city has set up a fuel cell vehicle demonstration, application and innovation alliance to help promote the development of relevant technologies and sectors and to facilitate the transformation and upgrade of Shanghai's car industry.
Fuel-cell are better suited to business applications, compared to pure electric vehicles, according to insiders.
(Source: Jiangsu Interntional Channel)
