China Auto Thread

[Beijingwalker]

 

[冖_冖]

China targets 40% penetration for new-energy heavy trucks by 2030

China has mapped out a plan to promote new-energy heavy-duty trucks, aiming for a fleet exceeding 1.6 million vehicles by 2030.

cnevpost.com

China targets 40% penetration for new-energy heavy trucks by 2030​

Jun 13, 2026, 4:31 PM GMT+8

• China has mapped out a plan to promote new-energy heavy-duty trucks, aiming for a fleet exceeding 1.6 million vehicles by 2030.
• Authorities aim for these vehicles to carry 18% of highway freight volumes by 2030.

The Chinese government has unveiled an ambitious plan to scale up new-energy heavy-duty trucks, aiming to accelerate the low-carbon transition in the transportation sector.

The plan sets a target of achieving a 40% market penetration rate by 2030, according to a joint statement released Saturday by 11 government bodies including the Ministry of Transport.

By then, China's fleet of new-energy heavy trucks is expected to exceed 1.6 million, accounting for about 20% of the total heavy-duty truck fleet.

The official target is for new-energy heavy trucks to carry 18% of highway freight volumes by 2030.

New-energy heavy trucks refer to heavy-duty freight vehicles with a gross weight of 12 tons or more that use new power systems.

To achieve this goal, the government will roll out massive supporting infrastructure, planning to build 30,000 kilometers of zero-carbon freight corridors along key sections of the national expressway network.

Authorities will support and guide the deployment of about 3,000 heavy-truck charging and battery-swapping stations. New and upgraded highway service areas will be required to build such facilities or reserve space for them.

The implementation plan also sets specific targets for certain regions and scenarios. In key air pollution control areas such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the Fenwei Plain, the electrification rate for fixed short-haul routes will exceed 80%.

To accelerate the adoption of the new technology, the Chinese government outlined several substantial support measures.

Authorities will step up fiscal and financial backing, coordinating funds to support vehicle purchases and the construction of charging infrastructure. Local governments are encouraged to provide funding through special-purpose bonds and green credit.

Policymakers are also actively promoting business model innovation and the improvement of the regulatory system. The plan encourages the development of new business models such as vehicle-battery separation and battery leasing.

The application scenarios for new-energy heavy trucks will also be expanded to heavy-duty transport sectors including logistics, mining areas, and ports.

In addition, authorities require the establishment of a full-lifecycle traceability system for batteries within swapping stations to strengthen safety management.

The setting of the long-term goal comes as the electrification trend in China's heavy-truck industry is viewed as unstoppable.

China's full-year sales of new-energy heavy trucks in 2025 stood at 231,100 units, surging 182% year-on-year, with the penetration rate reaching about 29%, according to a January report by CnEVPost.

Last December, the single-month penetration rate hit a record high of 53.89%, largely due to front-loaded demand before the expiration of subsidies.


The fundamental reason consumers are willing to pay for new-energy heavy trucks lies in their significant economic advantages.

Compared with traditional fuel vehicles, new-energy heavy trucks can save about 1.2 million yuan ($177,110) in costs over a 10-year operating cycle, Caijing reported in January, citing Xia Nan, sales director of commercial vehicles at CATL (HKEX: 3750).

CATL is one of the active promoters of electrification in the heavy-truck sector. It launched standardized battery swap packs for heavy trucks in May 2025, stating at the time that the industry was expected to achieve a 50% electrification rate in the following three years.

Dongfeng unveils hydrogen truck with 400 kW fuel cell - electrive.com

Dongfeng has unveiled its new 400 kW 'Hydrogen Core' fuel cell system for 49-tonne trucks. At the same time, the manufacturer introduced a new vehicle

www.electrive.com

China’s hydrogen-powered 49-ton truck refuels in 15 mins, runs 1700 km

Dongfeng unveils hydrogen truck with 400 kW fuel cell​

Dongfeng has unveiled its new 400 kW 'Hydrogen Core' fuel cell system for 49-tonne trucks. At the same time, the manufacturer introduced a new vehicle platform designed to support the system and enable ranges of up to 1,700 kilometres.

Image: Dongfeng

27.05.2026 - 13:36

Dongfeng recently hosted the ‘Hydrogen Propulsion for Dongfeng – Pioneering the Future’ event in Wuhan, where the company unveiled a new fuel cell system for commercial vehicles. According to the manufacturer, the system delivers 400 kW of power, offers a service life of more than 30,000 hours and supports cold starts at temperatures down to -40 °C. With the new system, Dongfeng now offers three hydrogen fuel cell platforms with outputs of 70 kW, 150 kW and 400 kW.

Dongfeng describes its new fuel cell solution as China’s first hydrogen fuel cell platform developed with metal bipolar plates, which has passed the 10,000-hour endurance test under the country’s new national standards. This follows China’s introduction of stricter regulations to ensure vehicle quality.

As another innovation, the manufacturer introduced the new T1 commercial vehicle platform and highlighted its compatibility with the 400 kW fuel cell system. It remains unclear whether the platform can also accommodate other powertrains and potentially serve as a multi-purpose architecture. However, Dongfeng is positioning the T1 platform primarily for hydrogen applications, stating that it ‘provides a solid foundation for the large-scale, commercial operation of hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles.’

According to the company, the T1 platform focuses on four key areas: low energy consumption, lightweight construction, fast refuelling and high safety standards. Dongfeng backed these claims with specific figures: “Following practical tests in mountainous and flatland regions, Dongfeng’s hydrogen vehicles achieved a hydrogen consumption of just 7 kg per 100 kilometres. The 49-tonne hydrogen-powered tractor unit weighs only 8.8 tonnes. With a refuelling time of just 15 minutes, the vehicles achieve a range of up to 1,700 kilometres.”

The platform also features an intelligent, decentralised energy system and a battery system.

However, the range figure is likely based on China’s CLTC test cycle, which includes more stop-and-go traffic and lower average speeds than the WLTP cycle used in Europe. As a result, CLTC values tend to be significantly more optimistic and less representative of real-world driving conditions. The quoted 1,700-kilometre range should therefore be regarded as a theoretical figure. According to Dongfeng, its hydrogen-powered trucks and passenger cars already operating on the road have collectively covered more than one million kilometres in real-world use.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

'Light years ahead of the rest of the world': China shows off the future of EV batteries at the Beijing Auto Show — as CATL and BYD race to cut charging times down to just five minutes​

https://www.techradar.com/vehicle-tech/hybrid-electric-vehicles/light-years-ahead-of-the-rest-of-the-world-china-shows-off-the-future-of-ev-batteries-at-the-beijing-auto-show-as-catl-and-byd-race-to-cut-charging-times-down-to-just-five-minutes

Geely questions ultra-fast charging safety in implicit dig at BYD

Geely's official account warned against battery cell temperatures exceeding 65°C during charging, a statement widely seen as an implicit jab at BYD.

cnevpost.com

Geely questions ultra-fast charging safety in implicit dig at BYD​

Geely Auto (HKEX: 0175) is mounting an unnamed technical challenge against rival BYD (HKEX: 1211), taking direct aim at potential safety risks of excessive battery temperatures caused by the latter's heavily promoted flash charging technology.

Geely published a post on its official WeChat account on Tuesday with a blunt headline that translated as — "Temperature above 65°C? Not recommended!"

The article cited China's current national standard GB/T44500-2024, noting that the reference threshold for the maximum charging temperature of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) power batteries should not exceed 65°C.

Geely did not name any competitor in the article. But this is widely seen as an implicit jab at BYD, which is aggressively promoting its second-generation Blade Battery and 1,500-kilowatt flash-charging technology.

Geely's core argument is built on physics. The company cited Joule's law, saying that battery heat generation rises exponentially as current increases. The faster the charging speed, the faster the cell temperature climbs.

As megawatt-level fast charging becomes increasingly common, battery thermal management faces higher technical requirements, Geely said.

The company said its Shendun Golden Battery, tested by the China Automotive Technology & Research Center, recorded a peak temperature of just 64°C throughout the full megawatt-level charging process.

Geely also emphasized that its battery passed the full GB38031-2025 certification last May, a standard dubbed the "strictest battery safety order in history."

"Charging fast is not enough; what matters more is ensuring safety!" Geely wrote in the post.

The trigger for the controversy can be traced back to last month. On May 6, a Chinese battery industry blogger livestreamed a test of BYD's flash-charging model, the Fang Cheng Bao Tai 3.

The test showed that under an ambient temperature of 25°C, the model charged from 9% to 97% in 9 minutes and 9 seconds. But temperatures at multiple test points exceeded 74°C, peaking at 76.42°C.

The blogger noted that battery charging temperatures are generally around 60°C, and exceeding 70°C is basically not permitted. He warned that excessively high temperatures could cause electrolyte gassing and trigger the risk of SEI film decomposition.

BYD initially issued a brief response. Li Yunfei, general manager of its branding and public relations division, said on social media platform Weibo on May 7 that everyone is welcome to visit the Flaming Mountains in Turpan, Xinjiang during the hottest months of July and August, and try out flash charging while there.

But the controversy did not subside. Other battery makers also joined the discussion. An executive at Gotion High-tech (SZSE: 002074) said at an industry conference on May 17 that ultra-fast charging does indeed affect battery life.

The executive said the safe operating temperature for LFP batteries is 60°C. Lithium hexafluorophosphate begins to slowly decompose at 60°C and accelerates its decomposition at 70°C. Lithium hexafluorophosphate accounts for more than 60% of electrolyte costs and is the key material for lithium-ion conduction.

Facing persistent questioning, BYD eventually hit back directly. Sun Huajun, chief technology officer of the company's battery business group, refuted the claim that flash charging damages batteries during an interview with Chinese media on May 19.

"You can't simply say flash charging damages batteries," Sun said. He pointed out that from 1C and 2C to 4C and 5C, every increase in charging rate prompted questions about battery damage, but technology has advanced each time.

Sun said the symmetrical structure of BYD's Blade Battery allows current to flow out from both ends, with both the top and bottom surfaces dissipating heat simultaneously, resulting in relatively lower thermal resistance. BYD also optimized the dimensions of the second-generation Blade Battery to accommodate flash charging.

On the question of whether 70°C is the battery's limit, Sun said no. He noted that just a few years ago, the industry still believed the high-temperature ceiling for LFP batteries was 60°C.

"We should not be bound by static numbers," Sun said. He stressed that the core lies in understanding the mechanism by which temperature affects battery life, and then continually pushing boundaries through innovation.

The backdrop to this debate is the intense market rivalry between Geely and BYD. According to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), Geely topped the automaker retail sales ranking for the first five months of 2026 with 848,116 units, though down 17.7% year-on-year. BYD followed with 766,401 units, down 39.1% year-on-year.

In the new energy vehicle (NEV) segment, BYD remained in first place, while Geely ranked second with 470,396 units.

BYD has stopped producing pure fuel-powered vehicles since March 2022, focusing on NEV models, including battery electric vehicle (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) models. Geely still maintains a lineup of fuel-powered cars.