On a bustling street in Chengdu, Sichuan province, Wang Yue takes out her phone and scans a QR code to unlock a blue two-wheeler. Within seconds, she's gliding down the road on what locals affectionately call a "hydrogen pony".

"The ride is smooth and stable, just like a regular electric bike. But it runs on hydrogen ... it's so cool!" said Wang, a resident of Chengdu's Xindu district.

Since its launch in August, the hydrogen-powered shared bike, developed by Xindu-based startup Qinglv Technology, has been rapidly gaining popularity across the district as a clean, convenient option for short trips.

A ride costs 2.5 yuan (36 cents) for the first 10 minutes. After that, an additional one yuan is charged for every five minutes. To date, the company has deployed 11,000 of the bikes in Xindu, amassing over 550,000 registered users and providing more than 3.5 million rides — a rare case of large-scale commercial operation in the sector.

Yang Hao, co-founder of Qinglv Technology, said the bike is powered by the electricity generated by its small hydrogen fuel cell. Each bike carries a storage tank holding 100 grams of hydrogen, providing a range of nearly 100 kilometers — about twice that of ordinary shared e-bikes.

"In northern winters, the range advantage of hydrogen-powered bikes becomes more evident," Yang said. "Lithium batteries drain quickly under low temperatures, while hydrogen fuel cells are barely affected by temperature changes."

Instead of conventional high-pressure hydrogen tanks that operate at 35 to 70 megapascal, the "pony" uses solid-state hydrogen storage technology — combining hydrogen with a special metal powder — keeping internal pressure at only 2 MPa. "That means even if a leak occurs, it will be slow and much safer," Yang said.

With support from the local government, the company plans to deploy another 15,000 to 30,000 bikes in Chengdu this year. Partnerships are also underway to launch hydrogen-powered bike services in Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, Jinan in Shandong province, Sanya in Hainan province, Shenyang in Liaoning province and Ganzhou in Jiangxi province.

Notably, the company has received orders for 50,000 bikes from overseas markets, including the Middle East, Europe, the United States and Southeast Asia, though adjustments to the design are required to suit local preferences.

Building on its current annual capacity of 30,000 bikes, Yang said the company is constructing a new facility in Xindu to produce small-power hydrogen fuel cell systems specifically for hydrogen-powered bikes. With an annual capacity of 300,000 units, the project is scheduled for completion by July and will begin production within the year.

Yang noted that key factors constraining the market penetration of hydrogen-powered bikes include the high cost of their onboard power generation and hydrogen storage systems. "But once annual output reaches 300,000 units, costs can drop to a level comparable to those of lithium battery-powered bikes," he said.

Data from the China Bicycle Association shows that the number of electric bikes in use across China had reached 380 million as of September 2025.

LeadLeo Research Institute, a market research provider based in Shanghai, forecasts the market will continue to expand, with annual sales expected to grow from 51.2 million units in 2025 to 59.3 million units in 2030.

"Our goal is not to replace lithium battery-powered bikes with hydrogen ones," Yang said. "There's room for both — they will coexist and complement each other."

pengchao@chinadaily.com.cn