Sinotruk’s green revolution at IAA

Chinese powerhouse Sinotruk has showcased seven new green prototype models at IAA Transportation 2024 in Hannover, Germany, from a battery electric light truck to a hydrogen fuel cell tractor.

Sinotruk, which is sold in Australia as Sitrak, has made no secret of its desire to transform the commercial vehicle sector with a variety of advanced truck models, from heavy-duty to pickups.

Its presence in Hannover was a nod to that transformative thinking, and highlights included the:

The Yellow River is claimed to outperform its counterparts in fuel efficiency and mileage.

Multiple innovative designs from a dedicated team of over 120 engineers and endless simulations have reduced the drag coefficient via electronic side mirrors, hidden door handles and a biomimetic fish-back trailer.

This model has a centrally mounted 100kWh blade battery pack, which ensures safety and enables fast-charging – from 20 to 80 per cent in just 20 minutes.

The modular flat-wire permanent magnet synchronous motor generates a peak power of 140kW, while the two-speed integrated electric drive axle improves power performance by 50 per cent and reduces overall energy consumption by 10 per cent.

Sinotruk claims 300km on a single charge.

The Bolden pickup can be personalised for off-road, commercial and passenger use. The powertrain is a two-litre turbo-diesel engine mated to Sinotruk’s eight-speed automatic transmission.

Aimed at zero-emission long-haul transportation, it’s equipped with an independently developed hydrogen fuel cell system, electric drive axle, intelligent powertrain and advanced control technologies.

The claimed range is 1200km, while performance is hearty: 1100kW and 86,000Nm. There are automatic and manual modes.

An efficient and reliable solution for long-haul logistics, it adopts a cell-to-body design, equipped with an intelligent drive system and luxurious cabin.

A 600kWh modular power battery pack delivers a total power output of 825kW and maximum torque of 75,000Nm. Range is a claimed 450km.

No commitment from Sinotruk yet on the timelines of the Hannover vehicles making the transition from prototype into pre-production and then production – but that can often happen quite quickly. But until schedules are finalised, availability in Australia is still to be determined.

Sinotruk doesn’t do anything in half measures though and, after selling over 330,000 trucks in 2023 and exported 130,000 units to overseas markets, it’s clearly full steam ahead on many fronts.

Since entering the Australian market in 2017, Sinotruk, has delivered more than 1000 heavy trucks and received ADR certification for 12 models.

Sitrak Australia currently has four primary dealers, seven 4S stores, and five spare parts centres. A total of 13 service centres have been contracted, and another 17 service centres are under negotiation.