KATHMANDU: Beiqi Foton has officially launched the production version of its BEACON heavy-duty truck, marking China’s first mass-produced commercial truck powered by liquid hydrogen.
Announced by BAIC Group through its official WeChat channel, the new BEACON truck is offered with three powertrain options: pure electric, gaseous hydrogen fuel cell, and liquid hydrogen fuel cell.
The liquid hydrogen variant is being introduced as an industry first for mass production, with the technology previously limited mainly to aerospace applications.
The truck is available with a 200kW or 300kW high-power fuel cell system. It uses a three-section layout consisting of the driving area, energy storage area, and drive area. The vehicle supports centralized electronic control, vehicle-cloud connectivity, and over-the-air software updates.
According to the company, the BEACON truck is built on an 800V electrical architecture, another first for mass-produced heavy-duty trucks in China. The electric version supports megawatt-level fast charging, adding up to 100km of driving range in about eight minutes.
The hydrogen variants are claimed to offer more than 1,000km of range, with refueling completed in approximately 15 minutes, similar to conventional fuel refilling.
In terms of driver assistance, the truck is equipped with a new-generation ICA/HWP combined system. The setup uses seven cameras, five radars, and one lidar, supported by high-precision positioning and maps. The system covers 26 categories and 114 driving scenarios, enabling 22 driver assistance functions.
Inside the cabin, the BEACON features a one-meter-wide sleeper berth, air-cushioned seats, and an AI-based voice assistant, making it the first commercial vehicle to integrate a large AI voice model.
Beiqi Foton states that the BEACON heavy-duty truck is aimed at long-haul logistics and commercial transport, with a focus on efficiency, intelligent systems, and alternative energy solutions.
