(Yicai Global) June 11 -- Chinese bus maker Wuzhoulong Motors Group has delivered its first batch of zero-emission hydrogen buses for pilot operation in the country's northern Shanxi province.

The 10.5-meter-long hydrogen-powered fuel cell bus is named 'F1 Future,' and the first delivery started operations in the city of Datong, the Shenzhen-based vehicle maker reported. 

The buses use a combination of zero-emission hydrogen fuel and lithium-iron batteries, have a service life of over 10,000 hours and can last for 430 kilometers after each full charge, which takes just five minutes.

Fuel cell buses cost double the price of all-electric buses, environmental traffic website Clean Technica reported, while pointing out that the meek benefit of the former is that hydrogen is cheaper to store.

Hydrogen fuel is burned with oxygen, and the only by-product of the chemical reaction is water.

Editor: Emmi Laine