Great Wall Motors’ subsidiary FTXT has signed a framework agreement with Baoding, a city in China’s Hebei province, to deliver 3,900 fuel cell trucks by 2025. The initial batch of 900 hydrogen-powered vehicles is slated for delivery this year.
The first set of deliveries will include 400 fuel cell vehicles for waste management services and an additional 500 fuel cell electric trucks. The remaining 3,000 vehicles, of which 500 will be sanitation vehicles, are scheduled for delivery in 2025.
Details regarding the vehicles and their drive systems’ technical specifications were not disclosed, nor were the financial terms of the deal. However, the China Hydrogen Bulletin suggested that innovative business models might have influenced the agreement. āThe financial lease business model, benefiting from the prevailing low interest rate environment in China, could drastically reduce initial CAPEX for related companiesāa major barrier for FCEVs deployment,ā the report noted.
FTXT highlighted that the consortium would leverage Baoding’s natural resources and policy advantages, integrating their expertise in financial services, high-end manufacturing, and urban operations. The company stated, “This agreement is a significant step in the close collaboration between the Chinese government and businesses to jointly advance the hydrogen energy industry.”
Despite the lack of detailed financial arrangements, the order size is substantial, even by Chinese standards. The fuel cell sector is more established in commercial vehicles in China than in Europe, but orders approaching 4,000 vehicles are still uncommon in China.
