China’s Rockcheck unveils 400 kW H2 fuel cell truck

Rockcheck 400 kW HD hydrogen fuel cell truck (Photo: Rockcheck)

Following on from its launch of a 200 kW hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty (HD) truck in March this year, China’s Rongcheng New Energy Group (also known as Rockcheck) has unveiled a new 400 kW version.

According to the company, the new HD truck brings ‘the single stack power of hydrogen heavy-duty trucks to a new height in the industry, marking important progress in China’s research and application of key technologies for new energy commercial vehicles’.

The test vehicle was jointly developed by Rongcheng New Energy’s subsidiary, Hydrogen Yang Power, in collaboration with Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor, Qingneng Co., Tianhai Hydrogen Energy and Mengguli.

Based on the core principles of ‘efficiency, economy, and reliability’, the vehicle features innovations in stack power and system efficiency, including a Type IV hydrogen storage system and an electric drive axle.

The hydrogen fuel cell system, jointly developed by Hydrogen Power and Qingneng Co. features a 400 kW graphite metal composite bipolar plate liquid-cooled stack and a hydrogen circulation module.

400 kW fuel cell stack (Photo: Rockcheck)

The unit has a rated power output of 200 kW and a system efficiency of between 49 and 60%. The dual-motor electric axle has a transmission efficiency in excess of 93%. Combined with an ‘intelligent’ vehicle networking management system, this forms a ‘high power, low energy’ core.

The lightweight design of the fuel cell utilizes Tianhai Hydrogen Energy’s first domestically certified 35MPa-450L Type IV hydrogen supply system, which reduces weight by 500 kg compared to traditional systems. Combined with a 750MPa high-strength steel frame, the vehicle’s overall mass is kept below 10 tons, significantly improving load utilization.

At the same time, the new model can achieve a more than 15% reduction in energy consumption through integrated cooling and waste heat recovery technologies, breaking through the technical bottleneck of rapid startup at -35°C.

Notably, the truck is expected to consume as little as seven kilograms of hydrogen per 100 kilometers, described as a significant economic advantage for long-distance logistics transport. The fuel cell system can also be adapted for use in large mining trucks and rail applications.