Honda Motor (China) Investment Co., Ltd. and Dongfeng Motor Group Company Limited have started a joint program to test hydrogen fuel cell trucks in China. The trial began in Wuhan under their joint venture, Wuhan Dongben Storage and Transportation Co., Ltd., where the trucks will be used on regular logistics routes. After Wuhan, the program will expand to major cities such as Guangzhou and Shanghai.
The project combines the strengths of both companies, Dongfeng’s experience in building commercial trucks, Honda’s fuel cell technology, and Dongben’s logistics operations. Together, they aim to promote cleaner transport solutions and move closer to carbon-neutral delivery systems in China.
Since 2023, Honda and Dongfeng have been working together to fit Honda’s fuel cell systems into Dongfeng’s light-duty commercial trucks. After two years of testing in different road and weather conditions, the vehicles showed good performance in durability, fuel efficiency, and quick power response. The results confirmed that the system can handle real-world logistics use.
This pilot program will help both companies study how hydrogen-powered trucks work in daily operations. It will focus on fuel use, operating costs, driver experience, and how fleet operators can benefit from switching to hydrogen. The data gathered from the test will also be used to understand customer response and the overall market potential for hydrogen trucks in China.
Honda and Dongfeng shared that the project will soon expand to more cities, including Guangzhou and Shanghai, as both companies continue working toward carbon-neutral transportation in China. According to Ito Yuzhi, executive deputy general manager of Honda China, the company has been studying hydrogen energy for decades and remains committed to improving fuel cell technology. He added that the joint program with Dongfeng, which began in 2023, has helped prove the strong performance of Honda’s fuel cell systems. This new stage marks an important move toward putting hydrogen-powered trucks into real public road operations.
Through this project, Honda and Dongfeng continue their shared goal of supporting cleaner energy use in transport. The results from these trials will help guide future plans to bring hydrogen-powered trucks into wider use in the country.
