HYDROGEN-POWERED TRAM DEVELOPED IN CHINA

In an effort to reduce China’s harmful and plentiful greenhouse gas emissions, Chinese company Sifang (a subsidiary of China South Rail Corporation) has developed the world’s first hydrogen powered tram. The tram took two years of research and development to complete, and will be powered entirely by hydrogen fuel cells. Since this is a tram and not a train, the top speed will only be 70 kilometers per hour and it will be used in urban areas only. It is designed to carry 380 passengers.

The tram will take 3 minutes to refuel and will have a 100 kilometer range. The company says the main benefits for cities will be cleaner air and reduced operation costs. The only emission will be water. It will not produce nitrogen oxides, as the temperature of the fuel cells will be kept under 100 degrees Celcius.

Watch the video:

What do you think? Leave your comments below…

• Norman Taylor
  This is a wonderful development for sure and could be developed for the rail networks around the world and should be very suitable for light rail applications.
• http://thenewnorth.org/ James M. Holtzman
  These guys are so far ahead of us its amazing…
• Val G
  Great move China. Maybe now us Americans will finally think about using mass transit at all…
• The Train Guy
  Sorry, this is just for show, it makes absolutely no sense what so ever.
  In reality the hydrogen fuel cell cycle is far less efficient and thus more wastefull than overhead electrical power.
• Jonas Blomberg
  Train Guy: It makes a lot of sense to have rail-bound vehicles without arial connectors. They cost a lot, and create severe safety and operational problems. With hydrogen (HyTram or HydRail) we can have emission free mass transport. Good move by China! They can earn money by exporting such trams.
• Tony
  It’s great to see this new technology moving forward. I’m hoping at this current pace we’ll start to see this as a viable option in the near future, but I’d love to see the inclusion of additional technologies like the GlidewayPRT transportation brought into the studies as the combination of the two could really reinvent ground transportation.
• Robert Comerford
  Sadly hydrogen as a mobile energy carrier is lacking. The conversion rate means about 3 times the energy needed to do the job and the only economic hydrogen is made from fossil fuels. A battery version would make more sense. The only advantage for this project is the removal of local pollution.
• http://www.radicaltorque.com.au Christian Morales
  Very interesting article. Hopefully this transport will works for a long term to fight the Climate Change.