Fuel cell buses pass extreme cold test

HOHHOT - Two buses fueled by hydrogen cells designed for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics have passed test under extremely cold weather in northern China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

The 60-kW and 120-kW cells, developed by the hydrogen energy company SinoHytec, were equipped respectively on the 9-meter-long and 12-meter-long buses produced by Foton, a subsidiary of Chinese automaker BAIC Motor.

The buses successfully started after being parked for eight hours at the temperature of minus 30 degrees Celsius on the testing grounds in the city of Hulun Buir, said Qin Zhidong, deputy head of the Foton automotive engineering research institute.

After the engine started, the onboard temperature climbed to 12 degrees Celsius in 30 minutes and 15 degrees Celsius in 40 minutes thanks to an integrated thermal management system, said Qin.

Designed to serve the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022, the buses have passed tests like low-temperature operation and hill starts and climbing.

According to Qin, 170 buses fueled by hydrogen cells have been put into operation in Zhangjiakou, the co-host city of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.