GWM projects R$20 million in sales of hydrogen-powered trucks in Brazil in 2026 after the first refueling at a new hub in Bahia
Fueling at Senai Cimatec inaugurates a new cycle of GWM’s hydrogen program in Brazil, which now also includes the first commercial sales of the truck. • The company is already negotiating with seven centers and private companies in the country, in addition to a client in Latin America, and projects R$ 200 million in revenue for 2027. • Brazil hosts GWM Hydrogen’s only operation outside of China. GWM Brazil inaugurates a new cycle in its hydrogen mobility strategy in the country. The first GWM Hydrogen truck powered by FTXT completed its first refueling with green hydrogen produced at the company’s own Center of Reference in Low Carbon and Green Hydrogen Technologies, recently inaugurated at Senai Cimatec Park in Camaçari (BA). This milestone coincides with the start of the first commercial negotiations for the vehicle in the country, which should translate into the first sales of the brand’s hydrogen truck in Latin America. FTXT is GWM’s subsidiary in China responsible for the development of fuel cell technologies and components that use hydrogen. Outside of China, it uses the international brand GWM Hydrogen, reinforcing the company’s global positioning in this segment.
Sales at an accelerated pace: GWM Brasil estimates R$ 20 million in sales of trucks and other solutions using hydrogen fuel cells in Brazil by 2026. This number is already considered conservative: the company is in ongoing negotiations in the country with seven private companies and technology centers, whose combined value exceeds this projection, in addition to an additional negotiation with a company responsible for sustainable businesses in South America — the first step of the technology outside Brazilian territory. For 2027, the target rises to R$ 200 million, reinforcing Brazil as a priority market for the brand outside of China, where GWM Hydrogen’s only unit besides its headquarters is located.
New refueling, new kilometers: The refueling at Senai Cimatec, in Bahia, marks the transition of truck testing to the use of locally produced green hydrogen, allowing for the evaluation of the technology’s performance under real operating conditions. Over the next two months, the vehicle will have covered more than 1,000 km at the center’s facilities—it has already covered more than 500 km, making it the first heavy-duty hydrogen truck in over 130 countries worldwide to reach this milestone. The tests evaluate energy efficiency, range, operational performance, and refueling infrastructure, using hydrogen produced at the technology park’s own pilot plant. “The first refueling of the truck with green hydrogen produced at Cimatec represents a historic moment for sustainable mobility in Brazil. We are connecting vehicles, infrastructure, and renewable fuel production in the same innovation environment, creating concrete conditions to accelerate the development of hydrogen mobility in the country,” says Davi Lopes, Head of GWM Hydrogen-FTXT Brazil.
Proven scale in China . GWM’s confidence in the Brazilian market is based on the experience accumulated by FTXT. The company has put more than 500 new hydrogen trucks into operation in the city of Baoding, surpassing the mark of 2,000 units in circulation in total and more than 1,000 new vehicles in 2025 alone, consolidating its position among the global leaders in sustainable heavy transport. The vehicles operate in severe conditions: FTXT’s hydrogen fuel cells are designed to withstand cold starts at -30°C, in addition to the demands of long autonomy and high payload of heavy trucks, and the models allow refueling in a few minutes and continuous operation for more than 10 hours, regardless of extreme temperatures. It is this robustness, tested on a large scale in the Chinese market, that the company is now replicating and adapting to the Brazilian reality.
Retrofit: The Fastest Entry Point for a Fleet Beyond selling new vehicles, GWM Hydrogen is expanding in Brazil with a second business area: retrofitting, a process that converts existing diesel trucks into electric vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells. In practice, the conversion kit includes the fuel cell, high-pressure hydrogen tanks, electric motor, backup battery, and the entire electronic control system, installed on the existing chassis after structural adaptations and vehicle re-engineering. The result is a truck that preserves the body and structure already amortized by the customer, but now operates with zero emissions. “Retrofitting is the cheapest way to decarbonize with hydrogen because it avoids the cost and time of replacing the entire fleet: the customer takes advantage of the chassis and body they already have, modifies the powertrain, and gains a clean operation in much less time than they would wait for a brand-new vehicle,” says Davi Lopes. The conversion also helps to overcome the main bottleneck for hydrogen in the country — the lack of a public supply network — because it allows for the structuring of dedicated solutions for specific clients and routes, without depending on the expansion of a national infrastructure.
Green hydrogen center in Bahia Inaugurated in June, the Reference Center for Low Carbon Technologies and Green Hydrogen is the result of a partnership between Senai Cimatec, Hytron, and Petrogal Brasil (JV Galp|Sinopec), with support from the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) and Embrapii. The facility brings together hydrogen production through water electrolysis, renewable energy generation, a vehicle refueling station, and laboratories focused on the decarbonization of industry. As a partner in the initiative, GWM Hydrogen provided the truck to integrate the Research, Development and Innovation (R&D&I) activities conducted on-site, with technological demonstrations aimed at validating green hydrogen in heavy transport. Developed by GWM Hydrogen, the truck is a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV): the system converts hydrogen into electricity to power the electric motor, emitting only water vapor through the exhaust. The model is equipped with a 105 kWh battery, a regenerative braking and deceleration system, and cylinders capable of storing up to 40 kg of hydrogen — a combination that guarantees high autonomy, refueling in minutes, and zero local emissions. From a technical standpoint, the truck delivers up to 400 kW (544 hp) of power and 2,300 Nm of torque, figures compatible with the load and route demands of heavy transport in Brazil. With a full hydrogen tank — stored at up to 350 bar in carbon fiber cylinders — the range reaches 500 km. For comparison with diesel, the model has a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of 49 tons, but an empty weight of only 10.8 tons, about 500 kg lighter than the average of its competitors — an advantage that translates into more useful load capacity without sacrificing structural robustness. “More than just validating a vehicle, we are participating in building the foundations for the future of sustainable transportation in Brazil. Collaboration between industry, research centers, universities, and governments is fundamental to transforming the potential of hydrogen into a viable solution for national logistics,” concludes Lopes.
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GWM projects R$20 million in sales of hydrogen-powered trucks in Brazil in 2026 after the first refueling at a new hub in Bahia, source
