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“Dongfeng Hydrogen Boat” is the main hydrogen power solution brand of Dongfeng Motor Corporation. On April 10, 2023, at the Dongfeng Brand Spring Launch Conference, Dongfeng officially released this hydrogen energy technology brand, committed to providing customers with full-stack hydrogen energy solutions covering “Production-Storage-Transportation-Refueling-Usage”. Unlike traditional vehicle brands, “Dongfeng Hydrogen Boat” is a technology brand, aiming to provide hydrogen fuel cell drive solutions for all series models of passenger and commercial vehicles. Under the brand, a hydrogen energy technology brand system of “One Master, Two Subsidiaries” was built: Dongfeng Hydrogen Boat (Main Brand), Dongfeng Hydrogen Element (Fuel Cell System Sub-brand), Dongfeng Hydrogen Core (Fuel Cell Stack Sub-brand), establishing full technology chain capabilities from basic materials and core components to system integration and vehicle application.
Dongfeng is one of the earliest enterprises in China to engage in fuel cell vehicle technology research and has been deeply cultivated in the hydrogen energy field for thirty years. Tracing back to the 1990s, between 1996 and 2000, Dongfeng, in collaboration with the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, developed the country’s first 30kW fuel cell demonstration vehicle EQ640. Afterwards, Dongfeng cooperated with Wuhan University of Technology successively, launching the “Chutian No.1”passenger car and “Chutian No.2” medium-sized passenger bus in 2005 and 2008 respectively. Among them, “Chutian No.1” was one of China’s first batch of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, opening the way for Dongfeng’s hydrogen energy technology to move from the laboratory to application. In 2017, two fuel cell box trucks of Dongfeng passed national announcement tests, officially starting the road of commercial promotion.
In 2018, Dongfeng took a milestone step. Led by Dongfeng Motor, 15 units jointly undertook the National Key R&D Special Project - “Full Power Fuel Cell Passenger Car Power System Platform and Vehicle Development”project, dedicated to developing China’s first full-power fuel cell vehicle. After 3 years of hard work, the project passed comprehensive performance evaluation smoothly in 2021. Dongfeng independently developed China’s first full-power fuel cell passenger car - Dongfeng Hydrogen Boat e·H2, with vehicle performance reaching domestic leading and international advanced levels. In 2022, the project won the highest level science and technology award in China’s automobile industry - “First Prize of China Society of Automotive Engineers for Science and Technology Progress”.
In November 2022, Dongfeng Hydrogen Boat drove from the Dongfeng Technology Center to the Greater Bay Area. In Foshan, Guangdong, it started demonstration operations in multiple ways such as ride-hailing, park shuttles, and official vehicles, pioneering the demonstration operation of hydrogen fuel cell passenger cars in China. In April 2023, Dongfeng officially released the “Dongfeng Hydrogen Boat” hydrogen power brand at the brand spring launch conference, marking a new stage where Dongfeng’s hydrogen energy business moves from technology accumulation to branded and systematic operation.
Afterwards, Dongfeng continued to refresh the height of hydrogen energy technology. In January 2025, Dongfeng released its independently developed 400kW hydrogen fuel cell stack, with single stack power breaking through 400kW. It is currently the largest passenger car metal plate stack by power globally, possessing four competitive strengths: high power density, high efficiency, long life, and strong environmental adaptability, with low-temperature cold start breaking through -40°C. Throughout 2025, Dongfeng’s hydrogen energy domain invention patents exceeded 1000 items, ranking first among domestic main manufacturers. In March 2026, the independently developed H2·Core 350 stack and H2·One 300 system by Dongfeng both won the CAIC HyTA authoritative verification certificate, becoming the only vehicle enterprise to receive “dual certificates”. At the Beijing Auto Show in April 2026, Dongfeng officially released the “Dongfeng Rise 2030” plan. The “Hydrogen Boat”exhibition area displayed the latest 400kW metal plate single stack and 300kW system, becoming one of the core highlights of the exhibition stand.
The core technology system of Dongfeng Hydrogen Boat revolves around the two major sub-brands “Dongfeng Hydrogen Core”and “Dongfeng Hydrogen Element”.
Dongfeng Hydrogen Core – Fuel Cell Stack Sub-brand: Composed of core stack components such as membrane electrodes, bipolar plates, catalysts, etc., utilizing the integration of electrochemical technology, control technology, manufacturing technology, and digital technology to build technical highlands. This product underwent comprehensive working condition testing and durability verification, and passed strict environmental tests such as -40°C rapid cold start for 30 seconds, 4000 meters altitude. The 400kW stack released in January 2025 carried out innovative R&D in six areas: basic materials, flow field design, packaging and molding processes, module integration, health monitoring, and testing verification, achieving a 24.5% reduction in hydrogen consumption per 100km for the whole vehicle, exceeding the full vehicle lifecycle requirement by 1.8 million kilometers. Dongfeng has formed a full-power stack product matrix ranging from 20kW to 400kW, comprehensively covering fields such as passenger cars, light/heavy trucks, and special vehicles.
Dongfeng Hydrogen Element – Fuel Cell System Sub-brand: Composed of systems such as hydrogen supply, air supply, water and heat management, etc., adopting a highly integrated development mode, invented stack and high-voltage device docking, high-efficiency energy recovery, waste heat utilization, high dynamic response technology, forming a gas, water, heat, and electricity synergistic control system, with system efficiency reaching 63%, in a leading position in the industry. Invented hydrogen circulation, hydrogen exhaust concentration multi-objective strategy, hydrogen utilization rate as high as 98%, achieving efficient and economical use throughout the full lifecycle. The independent control rate of key components reached 100%. Through domestic substitution, the cost of core components such as air compressors was reduced from hundreds of thousands of yuan to the ten-thousand level, and the fuel cell system cost was reduced from “ten-thousand yuan per kilowatt level”to “thousand yuan level”, clearing obstacles for scale commercialization.
Overall Platform Performance and Industry Chain Layout: Dongfeng Hydrogen Boat is driven by application scenarios, layout 70kW, 150kW and 350kW three major hydrogen power platform products, power covers 20kW-350kW, among which the 350kW high power platform can meet the needs of passenger cars and commercial vehicles full series models, achieving full power, full series, full scenario, full coverage. At the vehicle level, Dongfeng Hydrogen Boat hydrogen consumption is only 0.751 kg per 100km, reaching international leading levels; Dynamic planning energy control, dynamic response integrated technology reach international leading levels. At the same time, Dongfeng led the formulation of 5 national standards such as “Hydrogen Fuel Cell Commercial Vehicle Technical Specification”, participated in the revision of ISO/TC 197 international hydrogen energy standards, its fuel cell system test procedure was included in the UN World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations recommended standards, highlighting industry discourse.
Dongfeng Hydrogen Boat brand adopts a “dual-line product strategy of commercial and passenger vehicles”, already possessing dozens of hydrogen fuel cell vehicle models, covering all categories of passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and special vehicles.
Passenger car domain has developed models such as AX7-FCV, Venucia Big V Hydrogen Realm, etc., and is developing Voyah Dream Hydrogen version. Among them, Venucia Big V Hydrogen Realm is the main production model of Dongfeng hydrogen energy technology in the passenger car domain, released in November 2023, equipped with 60kW fuel cell system and maximum power 160kW single motor, adopting hydrogen-electric dual drive, full hydrogen full electric range can reach 500 kilometers, refueling hydrogen only takes about 5 minutes. This car has already started commercial demonstration operation in Huadu District, Guangzhou, accumulating driving over 100,000 kilometers in multiple scenarios such as shared travel, ride-hailing, official duties, security patrols. The earlier AX7-FCV is an important model for Dongfeng’s early layout of fuel cell passenger cars.
Commercial vehicle and special vehicle domain is the main battlefield of Dongfeng Hydrogen Boat, having developed series models from 4.5 tons, 12 tons, 18 tons, 31 tons to 49 tons, covering multiple categories such as light trucks, medium trucks, heavy trucks, sanitation vehicles. Representative models include 12-ton and 18-ton light commercial vehicles equipped with 80kW fuel cell systems, and Dongfeng Tianlong KL hydrogen fuel tractor truck tailored for 49-ton heavy trucks equipped with 400kW stacks. This truck refueling only takes 10 minutes, large volume hydrogen system combined with energy-saving control can achieve comprehensive working condition mileage of about 400 kilometers, is one of the hydrogen heavy trucks in China to achieve normal operation of high-speed trunk lines. In addition, Dongfeng also signed cooperation intentions with industry chain partners such as Bashu Logistics Group to jointly create new scenarios for hydrogen heavy truck demonstration operation. The special vehicle domain also includes Dongfeng Hydrogen version “Autonomous Driving Sharing-VAN”, achieving the perfect combination of autonomous driving and hydrogen power.
Dongfeng Hydrogen Boat has become the “vanguard”of the Chinese hydrogen fuel cell vehicle market. As of the end of 2025, Dongfeng hydrogen fuel vehicles cumulative sales exceeded 9,200 units, market share exceeded 30%, cumulative demonstration operation volume ranks first in the industry. Cumulative sales scale has already broken through 9,200 units, occupying a significant share of about 30% in the Chinese hydrogen fuel cell vehicle ownership. In terms of market share, Dongfeng hydrogen fuel cell vehicle market share continues to stabilize above 30%. Hydrogen heavy trucks on the Hanyan Hydrogen Demonstration Line have achieved normal operation, becoming China’s first large-scale application hydrogen heavy truck high-speed transportation line.
In terms of operation network, vehicles of Dongfeng Hydrogen Boat have carried out demonstration operations in more than 40 cities nationwide, covering core cities such as Wuhan, Foshan, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Xiong’an, Tianjin, and expanded to central and western cities such as Chengdu, Chongqing, Shiyan, relying on official travel, sanitation, ride-hailing, logistics delivery and other scenarios to fully verify product maturity. Cumulative demonstration operation mileage has exceeded 650,000 kilometers. From the perspective of operating economy, Dongfeng Hydrogen Boat hydrogen consumption is only 0.751 kg per 100km, costing about 30 RMB, only half of fuel vehicles; actual operation level of hydrogen consumption per 100km lower than 8kg/100km allows heavy truck scenarios annual operation 100,000 kilometers to save about 70,000 RMB, economy has market competitiveness.
Dongfeng Hydrogen Boat’s overseas layout is still in the early stage of technology export and cooperation exploration. Dongfeng actively participates in the formulation of international hydrogen energy standards and regulations, its fuel cell system test procedure has been included in the UN World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations recommended standards, reflecting the improvement of China’s hydrogen energy technology’s voice power at the international standard level. Dongfeng’s more than 1000 invention patents in the hydrogen energy field and full technology chain independent control ability have laid a solid foundation for technology going global, but as of now, Dongfeng Hydrogen Boat has not yet achieved large-scale vehicle export or established overseas production bases in the overseas market. The brand layout focus still remains on domestic full-scenario demonstration operation, after domestic technology and business models are mature, it is expected to further expand to the overseas market with the support of Dongfeng Motor’s global channels.
Dongfeng Hydrogen Boat is in the critical stage of leaping from “Leader”to “Vanguard”. At the technology iteration level, marked by the 400kW global maximum power metal plate stack, Dongfeng has completed the construction of a full power stack matrix from 20kW to 400kW. Dongfeng will continue to deepen the R&D of platinum-free or low-platinum catalysts in the future, as well as the self-production and cost reduction of core materials such as membrane electrodes and bipolar plates, the goal is to let ordinary people “really afford and buy it”. At the product matrix level, Dongfeng will adhere to the route of “commercial and passenger vehicles simultaneously”, promote subsequent models such as Voyah Dreamer Hydrogen version in the passenger car field; continue to expand the coverage of series models from 4.5 tons to 49 tons in the commercial vehicle field, and explore the extension of multiple scenarios such as ships, mining trucks, locomotives. At the industry chain synergy level, Dongfeng jointly explores the hydrogen production, storage and transportation, application full industry chain ecosystem with upstream and downstream enterprises in Hubei Province. Hubei plans to build 30 hydrogen refueling stations within 3 years, creating a hydrogen energy industry cluster worth billions. From Wuhan to the whole country, from demonstration to normal, Dongfeng Hydrogen Boat is accelerating to more cities across the country, gradually completing the last mile leap from technology verification to industrialization.
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