Fuel-cell vehicles will be key especially in China’s northwest, where distances between cities are long and electric-car adoption remains low, Wan Gang said Wednesday in Munich, The Japan Times reported.
The architect of China’s world-leading electric-car push is convinced hydrogen vehicles will play an important role in the world’s biggest auto market.
Fuel-cell vehicles will be key especially in China’s northwest, where distances between cities are long and electric-car adoption remains low, Wan Gang said Wednesday in Munich.
“First we need to build a green hydrogen system,” Wan said at a German-Chinese conference on the sidelines of the IAA car show. In some regions, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen cars could even be more prevalent than fully electric models, he said.
A former Audi executive who went on to become China’s science-and-technology minister, Wan convinced leaders two decades ago to bet on vehicle electrification, selling it not only as a way to boost economic growth but also to tackle China’s dependence on oil imports and pollution. His strategy — using government subsidies to bring carmakers and drivers on board — made China the dominant market for EVs.
Promoting hydrogen is “very beneficial” as the fuel can also be used in maritime and rail transport, said Wan, a mechanical engineer trained in Germany. Especially China’s commercial-vehicle fleet could benefit from hydrogen drivetrains, he added.
Source https://is.gd/yNHptZ
