Recently, Weichai Power's project, "Key Technologies for Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engines for Heavy-Duty Commercial Vehicle Hybrid Power," the first national key R&D program in China focusing on hydrogen internal combustion engines, achieved a milestone breakthrough. Joint testing and verification in Beijing and Weifang demonstrated that the hydrogen internal combustion engine's highest effective thermal efficiency has reached the highest level currently available domestically and internationally, placing its overall performance firmly in the top tier globally for hydrogen internal combustion engines.
The project team conducted simultaneous tests in Beijing and Weifang, achieving an engine power of 580 horsepower, a torque of 2750 N·m, and an effective thermal efficiency of 46.8%. The engine's transient response speed is 8% faster than traditional diesel engines, and it has the potential to meet China VII emission standards using a simplified aftertreatment system. The three core performance indicators-power, economy, and environmental protection-have already met the project requirements ahead of schedule.
The "Key Technologies for Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engines for Heavy-Duty Commercial Vehicle Hybrid Vehicles" is a key national "14th Five-Year Plan" special project, led by Weichai Power, with collaborative efforts from universities, research institutes, and industry chain enterprises including Beijing Institute of Technology, China Automotive Technology and Research Center, Shandong University, Tsinghua University, Tianjin University, Guizhou Research Institute of Catalysis, and China National Heavy Duty Truck Group. This project focuses on common key challenges in hydrogen internal combustion engines, hydrogen-electric hybrids, and complete vehicles, with key breakthroughs in core technologies such as efficient and stable combustion, clean emissions both inside and outside the engine, and high power and high reliability of hydrogen internal combustion engines. It aims to comprehensively master the key technologies for the forward development of heavy-duty hydrogen internal combustion engines and their integration into hydrogen-electric hybrid vehicles, creating efficient zero-carbon power solutions suitable for heavy-duty commercial vehicle scenarios.
This project has achieved significant phased results, promoting the formation of a complete and independently controllable technology system for heavy-duty hydrogen internal combustion engines in my country, propelling the domestic R&D, engineering, and industrialization of heavy-duty hydrogen internal combustion engines into the ranks of global leaders, and providing solid power technology support for the deep decarbonization of the commercial vehicle industry and the high-quality development of my country's hydrogen energy industry.
