(London/Shanghai) – Chinese vehicle manufacturer Giga Carbon Neutrality (GCN) has signed a contract to supply 200 hydrogen and battery-powered heavy trucks. The client is the district administration of Ejinhoro-Banner, part of the city of Ordos in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China. The hydrogen semi-trailer has a permissible total weight of 44 tons, a top speed of 90 kilometers per hour and a range of 580 kilometers on one tank of fuel. 
According to the company, the first prototype is currently undergoing practical testing on the roads of China.
The vehicles are being manufactured as part of a partnership with construction machinery group Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group (XCMG) and fuel cell manufacturer Sunrise Power Co., Ltd. manufactured in a new commercial vehicle factory in Ordos. The companies are investing 2,3 billion yuan (319 million euros) to build the new factory, which will produce environmentally friendly commercial vehicles and hydrogen propulsion systems for customers in China and throughout Asia. The construction work is scheduled to be completed in 2023.
21 models are being planned
At the UN climate conference COP26 in November, GCN presented its plans for a whole range of new vehicle models. A total of 2023 types are expected to come onto the market by the end of 21. The fleet includes both battery-electric and hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles, including an 8-ton truck as well as buses and minibuses for urban public transport.
GCN develops its vehicles in a research center in Hangzhou, China. The company said it has developed its own hydrogen and fuel cell technology and will initially purchase batteries from leading manufacturers.
Lightweight stainless steel and composite components are used in the production of the vehicles to achieve greater safety, weight savings and a reduction in energy consumption of at least ten percent. In addition, an infrastructure for storage, charging and refueling is to be built with partners from the public and private sectors. They also want to offer “special financing options” to make it easier to introduce zero-emission commercial vehicles.
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GCN launches 21 types of vehicles powered by hydrogen and batteries © GCN
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GCN's hydrogen tractor unit is currently undergoing practical testing in China. © GCN (https://youtu.be/6MWfu8zswTo)
