At the 18th Xuanyuan Automotive Bluebook Forum held from May 15 to 17 in Guangzhou, themed "Turning Point," Pan Feng, General Manager of FAURECIA Hydrogen Energy China, stated that hydrogen-powered vehicles are a primary direction for promotion in the scenario of "heavy and long" 49-ton heavy trucks and cross-province, long-distance transportation.
Pan Feng explained that pure electric heavy trucks face issues such as heavy battery weight and long recharging times, whereas hydrogen vehicles offer fast refueling and significant benefits for range extension. Currently, there are approximately 4 million "heavy and long" heavy-duty logistics vehicles in China, almost all of which run on diesel or natural gas.
According to his calculations, if the price of hydrogen drops below 25 RMB per kilogram, with a hydrogen consumption of 8 kilograms per 100 kilometers, the operating cost per 100 kilometers could be reduced to around 200 RMB. This would make it competitive with the operating costs of diesel and natural gas. "The replacement of these 4 million diesel and natural gas heavy trucks with new energy alternatives will represent a significant segment for hydrogen energy."
Furthermore, in the field of medium- and short-distance transportation, he anticipates that the shift toward new energy will primarily develop in the direction of electrification. However, in one specific segment—cold chain logistics—electric and hydrogen energy can complement each other. He mentioned that in recent years, there has been relatively strong promotion of hydrogen energy for 4.5-ton cold chain vehicles.
Pan Feng concluded by emphasizing that the relationship between hydrogen energy, pure electricity, natural gas, and fuel is one of complementarity rather than substitution. "Whether in the battery field or the engine field, what we collectively create should be a future green energy ecosystem of mutual supplementation, not a life-or-death competitive relationship."
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