KATHMANDU: Changan Automobile has announced the commercialization of its first-generation hydrogen fuel cell system under its Deepal lineup, according to Chinese media reports.
The company said key performance indicators of the system exceed industry benchmarks by more than 10%.
The system is already used in the hydrogen-powered Deepal SL03. This marks one of the few passenger fuel-cell deployments by a Chinese automaker.
The hydrogen SL03 offers fast refueling and a driving range of over 700 km under CLTC standards.
Changan is also developing a second-generation fuel cell system. The focus is on improving efficiency and reducing costs.
The company aims to cut costs in the fuel cell stack and hydrogen storage system. These are major cost components in fuel cell vehicles.
Deepal plans to launch a next-generation hydrogen passenger vehicle in 2027. The new model is expected to offer better efficiency and lower cost.
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles remain limited in the passenger segment. In China, adoption is mainly focused on trucks and buses.
China currently has around 30,000 fuel cell vehicles. About 70% of key components are locally produced.
China continues to support hydrogen through pilot projects and subsidies. However, battery electric vehicles remain the main focus.
Changan is developing hydrogen and battery electric technologies in parallel.
