China unveils the world’s first hydrogen tram
In an effort to reduce China’s pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, local company Sifang (a subsidiary of China South Rail Corporation) has developed the world’s first hydrogen powered tram. It was rolled off the assembly line in Qiangdao, Shandong Province, last week.
This tram took two years of research and development to complete. Hydrogen is being used and tested in various vehicles, including buses, but nobody had managed to master the technology for trams before.
Designed to carry 380 passengers, and powered entirely by fuel cells, the tram will take 3 minutes to refuel and will have a 100 kilometer range. The company says the main benefits for cities will be cleaner air and reduced operation costs. The only emission will be water.
See how it works with this video.
The average distance of tramcar lines in China is about fifteen kilometers, which means one refill for this fuel-cell powered tram is enough for three round trips, according to Sifang Company.
