Electric trucks reach 28% of heavy trucks in China, and hydrogen shifts to industry

Heavy truck electrification is advancing in China. In an article on 5/11/2026, Dr. Wang Zhiqiang argues that better batteries and charging and swapping networks change the investment assumptions behind hydrogen for trucks, and that hydrogen should go where reliable supply, real demand and sustainable economics meet.

IEA figures support the premise. According to the Global EV Outlook 2026, one in four trucks sold in China in 2025 was electric, and the share in heavy trucks rose from 13% in 2024 to 28%. Swap-capable models made up about 15% of electric sales, and sales kept growing by more than 20% in the first quarter of 2026.

Those who sized stations and production for a hydrogen truck fleet carry the risk of demand that moved to batteries. The remaining space lies in uses direct electrification does not reach, such as refining, ammonia and steel, with a defined industrial buyer.

Hydrogen loses ground in trucks and gains focus. A project anchored in an industrial consumer weighs more than one anchored in a fleet.