Beijing, China (BBN)-The world's first hydrogen-powered tramcar has rolled off the assembly line in China's eastern Shandong Province.
Liang Jianying, chief engineer of Sifang Co, a wholly-owned subsidiary of China South Rail Corporation, said on Thursday the new tram is the only hydrogen powered vehicle in the field and makes China the only country to have mastered the technology, reports The Times of India.
Hydrogen fuel cells are a new clean energy source, widely used in the automobile industry, but lagging behind in the field of rail transit.
"It took two years for Sifang to solve key technological problems, with the help of research institutions," state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Liang as saying without mentioning when the tram would be operational.
The tram can be refilled with hydrogen in three minutes and can then run for 100km at speeds as high as 70 kmph.
"The average distance of tramcar lines in China is about 15km, which means one refill for our tram is enough for three round trips," Liang said, adding the overall running costs will be greatly reduced.
Each tram has over 60 seats and can carry 380 passengers.
BBN/SK/AD-21Mar15-4:40pm (BST)