249 hydrogen buses delivered to Guangzhou by Skyworth

A Korean-Chinese alliance has delivered 249 fuel cell buses to the state-owned Guangzhou Public Transport Group. These are 8.5-meter-long midibuses from the Skyworth brand, developed by a partnership between Hyundai's subsidiary HTWO Guangzhou and the Kaiwo Group.

Kaiwo htwo skyworth h2 busse fcev guangzhou china — Image: Skyworth Auto

The two collaborators have now delivered the first batch of 249 hydrogen fuel cell buses, in what they have described as ‘one of the largest hydrogen bus projects in China’. The Hyundai Motor Group announced the order in December, with its completion now confirmed by the Chinese partner, Kaiwo Group, which operates internationally under the name Skywell (encompassing the brand Skyworth Auto). Incidentally, Skyworth made its debut at Busworld in Brussels last year, where it showcased three battery-electric models.

For the Guangzhou order, the Chinese manufacturers built the hydrogen buses in collaboration with HTWO Guangzhou, the Chinese subsidiary of Hyundai’s hydrogen brand HTWO. The vehicles, designated NJL6856FCEVF, are 8.5-metre midibuses equipped with a 90 kW fuel cell system boasting 64% efficiency and a relatively large 176 kWh CATL battery.

The buses offer a range of 390 kilometres on pure hydrogen power and a combined range of 576 kilometres (achieved via the battery). Refuelling takes just three to five minutes. Additional features include a low-floor design with a short rear overhang of under 1.1 metres. The centrepiece of the vehicles, the fuel cell powertrain, is produced at HTWO Guangzhou’s plant in the eponymous city. This facility, completed in 2023, is Hyundai’s first overseas production site for hydrogen fuel cells.

According to details reported in December, the order placed by the Guangzhou Public Transport Group with the Korean-Chinese consortium for the 249 hydrogen buses consists of two parts: an order for 224 vehicles and another for 25. In total, the public transport operator ordered around 450 and an additional 50 hydrogen buses. The HTWO/Kaiwo vehicles under the Skyworth brand thus account for half of the tendered buses.

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