As one of the hosts of the 2022 Winter Olympic games, Zhangjiakou, China will welcome thousands of competitors who have been training their whole lives to have the chance to win Olympic gold and Zhangjiakou is working with Air Liquide to build one of the first Hydrogen Stations
For close to two years, Cummins fuel cells have been doing their own Olympic style training by powering 74 transit buses on the roads in Zhangjiakou. A challenging location with elevation at over 2,300 feet and temperatures reaching as low as 17 degrees Fahrenheit in winter, our Cummins fuel cell-powered buses are ready for the test.
3 Million Passengers & Counting
Cummins fuel cells are integrated into 49 12-meter buses and 25 10.5-meter buses – perfect for intercity operation. So far, the fleet has provided transportation services for over three million passengers, with each vehicle consuming only 6.7 kilograms of hydrogen every 100 kilometers.
The buses run on multiple routes across the city, including two of the routes with the highest passenger flow in the city. Every day these buses work more than 14 hours and drive 250 kilometers. With a range of 500 kilometers, hydrogen refueling time of only 10 – 15 minutes, and start-up at temperatures as low as -22 degrees Fahrenheit, fuel cells are the perfect solution for Zhangjiakou.
Prepping for the Winter Olympics
To prepare for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Zhangjiakou has been promoting greener development and utilization of renewable resources. Currently, it is building its own Hydrogen Production Base and working with the Air Liquide Group to build Hydrogen Stations to ensure the smooth operation of more fuel cell vehicles in the city. Construction of the first 10 hydrogen stations will be complete before the end of 2020 with another six built in 2021.
With fuel cells operating in a large fleet and harsh environment for two years, Cummins continues to show global leadership in commercial vehicles across all technologies, now including fuel cell and hydrogen systems.
Our Future of Fuel Cells in China
As Cummins strengthens its presence in China with plans for a new facility in the region providing further engineering support, we are excited to see more of our fuel cells pop up across the country and will of course be keeping an eye out for our buses at the Olympic games in 2022!
Source: Cummins
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