The 500 ‘Dongfeng Special Vehicle Trucks’ are licensed, plated and powered by a 30 kilowatt fuel cell engine that was designed and integrated by Shanghai Reinventing Fire Technology Company Limited (‘Re-Fire’), featuring Ballard FCvelocity®-9SSL proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stacks.

Each box van truck measures 6.4 meters (21 feet) in length, can carry a load of 3.2 tons and has an expected range of more than 330 kilometres (205 miles). The trucks will be operated by Shanghai Sinotran New Energy Automobile Operation Co., Ltd., a newly established fuel cell electric vehicle operator, and are expected to be used primarily for intra-city deliveries of goods.

Ballard and Re-Fire have entered into a collaboration agreement under which Re-Fire has agreed to use Ballard-designed fuel cell stacks in its fuel cell engines. Ballard’s FCvelocity®-9SSL stacks are now being manufactured and are available from Guangdong Synergy Ballard Hydrogen Power Co., Ltd., Ballard’s joint venture in Yunfu, Guangdong Province.

3,000 FCEVs by 2020

In 2017, the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai, the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Information and the Shanghai Municipal Development & Reform Commission launched the ‘Shanghai Fuel Cell Vehicle Development Plan’, a ground-breaking Plan calling for the annual production of 3,000 FCEVs by 2020.

Four hydrogen refueling stations are currently operating in Shanghai. As per the Shanghai Fuel Cell Vehicle Development Plan, a total of 5-to-10 hydrogen fueling stations are planned by 2020.

China is forecasted to account for approximately 42% of global production of medium- and heavy-duty trucks in 2020, or approximately 1.1 million units, according to LMC Automotive.

Watch the video: http://www.re-fire.com/en