Bosch to develop smart transportation in WND

German automotive components supplier Bosch breaks ground on a fuel cell battery development center in Wuxi National Hi-tech District on Nov 29. [Photo/wnd.gov.cn]

German automotive components supplier Bosch broke ground on a fuel cell battery development center in Wuxi National Hi-tech District on Nov 29.

The center is due to start operation in 2021, aiming to supply the emerging local fuel cell vehicle market. It will become the German supplier's first fuel-cell battery development facility outside Germany, a Bosch representative said.

The new site will develop, test and produce fuel-cell battery systems and related key components including hydrogen injection valves and electronic air compressors, the German supplier added.

Fuel cells are recognized as one of the most ideal power providers for long-distance commercial vehicles and heavy trucks. As a result, fuel-cell vehicle sales, nearly all of which are buses, are increasing rapidly across China.

In the first ten months of the year, 1,327 fuel cell vehicles were sold across the country, eight times that of last year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

Two additional Bosch development centers, to be built in Wuxi, were signed on the same day. They include an innovation and software development center and an intelligent connected vehicle development center.