Range of 1,000 km! FAW Jiefang Liquid Hydrogen Heavy-Duty Truck Launches Public Road Demonstration Operation
In December 2025, with the strong support and collaborative promotion of the People's Government of Panzhihua City, Sichuan Province, and the Management Committee of the Panzhihua Vanadium-Titanium High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, the liquid hydrogen heavy-duty truck jointly developed by FAW Jiefang, Aerospace Propulsion Technology Research Institute, and Dongfang Hydrogen Energy Technology (Chengdu) Co., Ltd. successfully launched China's first public road demonstration operation for a real vehicle in the Panzhihua Vanadium-Titanium High-Tech Development Zone. This marks a critical leap in China's liquid hydrogen heavy-duty truck technology from the laboratory to real-road scenarios, officially entering a new stage of commercial verification.
The liquid hydrogen heavy-duty truck involved in this demonstration operation integrates FAW Jiefang's proven J6P product platform, validated over millions of kilometers, Aerospace's "Track 1000" large-capacity onboard liquid hydrogen storage and supply system, and Dongfang Hydrogen Energy's high-power fuel cell system. To date, the vehicle has completed over 8,000 kilometers of actual demonstration operation, with a single-fill range exceeding 1,000 kilometers, setting a new domestic record for the range of hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks.
▲ J6P Liquid Hydrogen Tractor
Four Core Breakthroughs Lay the Foundation for Commercialization
Breakthrough One: Ultra-Long Range Validated in Real Operations, Addressing Range Anxiety in Heavy-Duty Truck Electrification
▲ J6P Liquid Hydrogen Tractor on Public Road Demonstration Operation
The most significant achievement of this real-vehicle road test is the practical validation of its range capability. Equipped with a hundred-kilogram-class liquid hydrogen storage tank, the vehicle achieved a range exceeding 1,000 kilometers under real-road conditions. This performance significantly surpasses the current mainstream gaseous hydrogen heavy-duty truck range of 400-500 kilometers. This practical data not only provides strong support for the feasibility of applying liquid hydrogen technology to long-distance, zero-carbon transportation for heavy commercial vehicles but also directly addresses the key bottleneck in the industry's electrification transition, fundamentally resolving the range anxiety problem hindering its large-scale adoption.
Breakthrough Two: Commissioning of the First Civilian Liquid Hydrogen Refueling Station, Unlocking a Key Link in Infrastructure
▲ J6P Liquid Hydrogen Tractor Being Refueled with Liquid Hydrogen
The smooth execution of this demonstration operation relied on the concurrent commissioning of the nation's first civilian liquid hydrogen refueling station achieving a closed-loop "production, storage, and refueling" chain in Madian, Panzhihua. During the demonstration, the vehicle successfully completed safe and efficient refueling with liquid hydrogen at an extremely low temperature of -253°C. This signifies that China has comprehensively mastered the complete refueling technology and safe operational capabilities for civilian liquid hydrogen from the factory to the onboard system, removing a core barrier for the large-scale promotion of liquid hydrogen heavy-duty trucks from the infrastructure level.
Breakthrough Three: High Reliability and Adaptability Validated in Complex, Harsh Environments
▲ J6P Liquid Hydrogen Tractor Undergoing Mountainous Road Testing
Panzhihua's unique mountainous terrain and complex road conditions provided a highly challenging natural testing ground for this validation. Leveraging this real and demanding operating environment, the vehicle demonstrated stable system operation and reliable performance throughout the entire demonstration, fully confirming the high compatibility and engineering maturity between FAW Jiefang's heavy-duty truck chassis and the advanced aerospace liquid hydrogen storage and supply system. The outstanding stability exhibited by the vehicle in real operational scenarios is even more convincing, injecting solid confidence into the future market promotion of liquid hydrogen heavy-duty trucks.
Breakthrough Four: "Government-Industry-University-Research-Application" Collaboration, Innovating Industrial Landing Methods
This breakthrough is the result of deep industry chain collaboration. The innovation consortium formed by FAW Jiefang (vehicle integration and manufacturing), Dongfang Hydrogen Energy (fuel cell), Aerospace Propulsion Institute (liquid hydrogen production and onboard system), and the Panzhihua local government (scenario and policy) represents an efficient linkage model of "leading enterprises + research institutes + local government." This model integrates all elements of technology R&D, equipment manufacturing, industrial upgrading, and scenario application. It not only provided core support for the successful implementation of the project but also created a replicable and scalable demonstration model, offering valuable experience for the construction of the national hydrogen energy industry ecosystem.
The successful demonstration operation of FAW Jiefang's liquid hydrogen heavy-duty truck in Panzhihua signifies that, on the path exploring liquid hydrogen as the "ultimate solution" for long-distance, zero-carbon transportation in heavy-duty trucks, China has achieved the first full-chain integration from technology development to commercial verification. With its extremely high hydrogen storage density and greater economic potential for long-distance storage and transportation, liquid hydrogen is expected to fundamentally solve the range bottleneck in heavy-duty truck electrification. Furthermore, this practice not only validates the feasibility of the technical route but also successfully runs a complete domestic commercial closed loop, charting a clear path for deep decarbonization in China's transportation sector. Building on this significant achievement, the project team is collaborating with relevant industry institutions to translate the core data and valuable experience accumulated from this practice into unified industrial norms and safety standards, such as refueling protocols, laying a solid foundation for the large-scale, high-quality development of the hydrogen-powered heavy-duty truck sector.
Looking ahead, FAW Jiefang will join hands with partners to continue deepening the demonstration application and technological iteration of the entire liquid hydrogen "production, storage, refueling, transportation, and utilization" chain. Simultaneously, efforts will be made to expand the demonstration effect to diverse scenarios such as green hydrogen metallurgy, vanadium-titanium synthesis, and hydrogen vehicle manufacturing. Anchored in the national "Dual Carbon" goals, FAW Jiefang, guided by its "Blue Way" new energy technology brand, will continue to drive industrial transformation and strive to build a mature hydrogen industry ecosystem covering the entire industrial chain, injecting a continuous stream of green momentum into building a manufacturing powerhouse and a transportation powerhouse.
