A full-power hydrogen fuel cell car, developed by Dongfeng Motor Co, became the company's first domestic hydrogen fuel cell passenger car when it made its debut at the fifth DFTC Technology Innovation Week, according to local media reports.
According to Xie Qiguang, head of the Department of Hydrogen Power at the Dongfeng Motor Co Foresight Technology Research Institute, under the front hatch of this model - where the traditional fuel engine would normally be installed - there is a novel hydrogen fuel cell engine.
This new car is based on the Dongfeng Aeolu AX7 Pro and uses hydrogen as an energy source.
The energy conversion efficiency can be as high as 60 percent, which is nearly twice that of ordinary fuel vehicles. Compared with pure electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have a longer driving range and a faster energy replenishment speed.
According to Xie, the biggest feature of the new car is its full power. It is currently the first domestic model with a production capacity of 5,000 vehicles per year. It is expected to be mass-produced in Wuhan next year and will be produced to order.
Starting in 2018, Dongfeng Technical Center has taken the lead in undertaking the national key R&D project: Full-power Fuel Cell Passenger Vehicle Power System Platform and Vehicle Development Project.
The center brought together 15 companies, universities and institutions to develop the first high-efficiency, high-safety, full-power fuel cell passenger vehicle in China.
