SAIC plans to take on Toyota in hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- SAIC Group displayed its two hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles Roewe 950 and lightweight bus Maxus FCV80 on the 2017 China International Industry Fair. Leader of SAIC Group Foresight Department mentioned that the 200-type fuel-cell power system still lags behind Toyota’s products, but the 300-type fuel-cell power system to be launched next year will be capable to compete with Toyota’s products.

Hydrogen fuel cells can provide ideal new energy power, but the immature technologies and other conditions limit the wide application. Currently, Japanese and Korean auto companies have leading fuel cell technologies. Hyundai released the global first hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle ix35 in 2013. Toyota also launched MIRAI in the year of 2014, followed by Honda with Clarity in 2016. Now SAIC Group also marches into the field and claims to take on Toyota, but its technologies are still far behind Japan and Korea, which arouses great suspicion in the industry.

All involved in the 2009 domestic NEV development plan, hydrogen fuel cells are developing neck and neck with lithium iron phosphate batteries and ternary polymer lithium batteries. But China cancelled subsidies on the field since the year 2015, following the United States. Toyota and Hyundai plan to launch hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles in China market. The Japanese automaker has set up the first testing hydrogen station in Changshu at the end of October. Hyundai also released its first third-generation hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles in China named as Hyundai FE with a maximum cruise mileage of 800KM, which are expected to hit the market in 2018.