FAW Jiefang launches liquid‑hydrogen heavy truck with 1000 km real‑world range
FAW Jiefang has officially begun open‑road demonstration operations of its new liquid‑hydrogen heavy truck in the Panzhihua Vanadium‑Titanium High‑Tech Zone. Developed jointly with the Aerospace Propulsion Technology Research Institute and Dongfang Electric (Chengdu) Hydrogen Energy Technology, the vehicle marks China's first real‑vehicle public‑road test of a liquid‑hydrogen‑powered heavy truck. The milestone represents a major step forward, moving the technology from laboratory testing into real‑world commercial verification.
The demonstration vehicle integrates FAW Jiefang's proven J6P platform, which has accumulated over one million kilometers of validation, along with the aerospace‑grade Track‑1000 large‑capacity onboard liquid‑hydrogen storage system and a high‑power fuel‑cell system from Dongfang Hydrogen Energy. So far, the truck has completed more than 8000 km (4970 miles) of measured operation, achieving a real‑world driving range exceeding 1000 km (621 miles), setting a new endurance record for hydrogen‑powered heavy trucks in China.
FAW Jiefang reports that the most important achievement of the test is the successful verification of long‑distance endurance under real road conditions. Equipped with a 100‑kg (220‑lb) liquid‑hydrogen tank, the truck surpasses the typical 400-500 km (249-311 miles) range of current compressed‑hydrogen or natural‑gas heavy trucks. This breakthrough directly addresses one of the biggest bottlenecks in the electrification of heavy commercial vehicles: range anxiety during long‑haul, zero‑carbon transport.
The demonstration was supported by China's first civilian liquid‑hydrogen refueling station capable of completing the full closed‑loop chain of production, storage, and refueling. During testing, the truck successfully completed safe and efficient refueling of liquid hydrogen at -253°C (-423°F). This confirms that China has mastered the complete civilian liquid‑hydrogen refueling process from factory to onboard system, removing a major infrastructure barrier to scaling up liquid‑hydrogen heavy‑truck deployment.
FAW Jiefang is one of China's oldest and largest commercial‑vehicle manufacturers, originally established under the First Automobile Works (FAW) Group in 1953. The company is headquartered in Changchun and is known for producing heavy‑duty trucks, medium‑duty trucks, and specialized commercial vehicles used across logistics, construction, and industrial sectors. Over the past decade, FAW Jiefang has expanded into new‑energy technologies including battery‑electric, hydrogen‑fuel‑cell, and now liquid‑hydrogen platforms, positioning itself as a leading innovator in China's transition toward clean long‑haul transportation.
