Recently, a batch of Ankai 8.5-meter hydrogen fuel buses was put into operation on the bus routes in Lu'an City, Anhui Province. This is not the first batch of hydrogen fuel buses operating on Lu'an's bus routes. In December 2019, the first batch of Ankai 8.5-meter hydrogen fuel buses began operating on the 301 bus route, becoming the first hydrogen energy bus demonstration route in Anhui Province. In August 2020, the city deployed another batch of Ankai 10.5-meter hydrogen fuel buses on its bus routes.

"Hydrogen fuel buses use hydrogen as fuel. Their working principle involves generating electric energy through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, which then powers the vehicle via a fuel cell system. The entire process only emits water vapor, without producing carbon dioxide, and the buses have a relatively long range. It takes only 10 minutes to refuel the bus with hydrogen, and it can travel 400 kilometers with a full load and air conditioning on, meeting the high-intensity operational needs of urban public transportation," said Zhu He, Director of the New Energy Technology Research Institute at the Technical Center of Anhui Ankai Automobile Co., Ltd., in an interview.

In January of this year, Hefei City launched its first hydrogen energy bus demonstration route, with the initial batch of 23 Ankai hydrogen energy buses put into demonstration use, contributing to safer and more environmentally friendly travel for the public.

"Although the current cost of hydrogen energy is relatively high, in the long term, hydrogen fuel buses have significant importance in promoting energy structure transformation, protecting the environment, and advancing technological progress," Zhu He stated. Currently, the single-vehicle operation mileage of Ankai hydrogen fuel buses has exceeded 250,000 kilometers, with good performance in terms of power, economy, and comfort, making them a carrier for green 'zero' carbon travel. As technology advances and the industrial chain gradually improves, the cost of hydrogen energy will further decrease, and hydrogen fuel buses will play a greater role in public transportation.

Source: Anhui Daily