The world’s first hydrogen-powered tram service in Foshan City, China has been suspended due to rising costs and collapsed passenger numbers.
The tram line in Foshan City was seen as inconvenient for passengers, contributing to falling ridership.
In addition to low passenger turnout, the rising costs of operating the hydrogen trams likely made the service financially unsustainable.
The trams were powered by hydrogen fuel cells supplied by Canadian company Ballard Power Systems. However, the high costs of building out hydrogen infrastructure and fuel cell technology hindered the project.
The suspension demonstrates the ongoing challenges of deploying early hydrogen transportation projects at scale, as high costs remain a barrier compared to conventional fuels.
The Foshan experiment was the first attempt to operate a passenger tram system entirely on hydrogen, but unrealistic ridership projections and financial limitations prevented it from being viable long-term.
Source: hydrogeninsight
