Honda Motor Company Ltd announced it has deployed a fleet of hydrogen fuel cell powered trucks in China on a trial basis with its Chinese partner, Dongfeng Motor Group Company Limited, following two years of joint development and testing. Honda has contributed its latest fuel cell technology for the project, with Dongfeng providing its commercial vehicle manufacturing expertise.
The light-duty trucks have been put into service in the city of Wuhan by Wuhan Dongben Storage and Transportation Company Ltd, a logistics joint venture between Honda Technology Research and Research Industry China Investment Company (Honda China) and Dongfeng. They are operating along existing logistics routes, with the purpose of evaluating and demonstrating their suitability for use within China’s transportation network.
Honda said in a statement that the “core objectives of the hydrogen fuel cell commercial vehicle social demonstration project are to verify the applicability of fuel cell technology in China's actual transportation environment; to grasp the actual use status of vehicles and calculate operating costs; to assess the market competitive advantage and acceptance of fuel cell commercial vehicles; and to conduct a comprehensive assessment of operational efficiency and added value from the perspective of end users.”
The two companies plan to expand the project to other cities in China, deploying hydrogen-powered truck in cities such as Guangzhou and Shanghai, as they look to accelerate the transition toward carbon-neutral transportation in China.
Ito Yuzhi, executive deputy general manager of Honda China, said in a statement: "Honda has been concerned about the feasibility of hydrogen energy for a long time, and has been committed to the research and development of hydrogen technology and fuel cells for more than 30 years. Since 2023, Dongfeng and Honda China have jointly carried out technical verification work for fuel cell commercial vehicles to fully demonstrate the excellent performance of Honda fuel cell technology. This demonstration operation project is an important step towards the actual operations on public roads.”
