In 2026, Zhongtong Bus launched the H13E, a 13-metre pure electric tour and group bus powered by an industry-leading 650.19 kWh battery pack, offering intercity long-distance passenger transport operators a pure electric solution with higher uptime and lower operating costs.
On 13 October, Zhongtong Bus randomly selected a production-unit H13E destined for customer delivery to take on the long-range real-world challenge, themed "Cruising Western Guangdong on Pure Power — Verifying True Range Beyond 600 Kilometres." The result was impressive: fully loaded, with the air conditioning running across mixed road conditions, the coach covered 640 km without recharging, consuming only 67% of its battery capacity.
The journey set off from Dongguan, passing through Zhuhai, Yangjiang and Maoming, before reaching China's First Long Beach in Zhanjiang. The route covered expressway plains, coastal roads, hilly winding sections and urban streets — an environment of high humidity and heavy salt spray, with frequent long uphill and downhill gradients demanding continuous battery charging and discharging. This made for a rigorous test of the vehicle's thermal management and charge-discharge stability.
The tested H13E is equipped with a Weichai H38 power battery, deeply calibrated and matched with Zhongtong's self-developed electric drive system, delivering high torque and strong climbing power. To mitigate battery performance fluctuations in extreme summer and winter temperatures, the H13E adopts a mature liquid-cooling and electric-heating thermal management system, addressing common industry pain points such as battery degradation in extreme heat and sharp range loss in cold weather.
At the end of the test, the H13E had travelled a total of 640 km, with the instrument panel showing SOC dropping from 99% to 32% — meaning just 67% of battery capacity was used, demonstrating outstanding range performance.
Xia Dengfeng, the test driver, said in an interview: "Taking part in this full test drive has completely removed my previous concerns that pure electric coaches cannot handle long-distance routes. I am far more confident about the future of long-distance pure electric passenger transport."
The real-world test proves that the H13E delivers remarkable energy savings compared with conventional fuel coaches. Based on a typical industry daily operating mileage of 300 km, its energy cost per kilometre can be cut by more than 60%, with vehicle maintenance expenses reduced by 40%. In today's low-margin passenger transport market, lower per-kilometre operating costs translate directly into greater profit margins for operators.
Notably, the test vehicle was a genuine production unit destined for a customer in Guangdong. Zhongtong Bus has always attached great importance to the all-scenario operational adaptability of its products. Specifically for coastal environments with high humidity and heavy salt spray, targeted sealing and anti-corrosion treatments are applied to the chassis, battery compartment and electrical connections to minimise the adverse effects of damp, salty air.
Furthermore, the H13E can be equipped with EBS/ESP electronic stability control, LKA lane-keeping assist and all-weather automatic emergency braking systems, building a solid safety barrier for long-distance travel on complex roads.
Moving beyond traditional bench testing, this challenge brought verification onto public roads. The event combined on-board briefings from engineers, media ride-alongs and live online audience interaction, fully showcasing the real-world performance of a large-capacity pure electric tour coach in demanding terrain. It was not only a validation of vehicle capability, but also a practical reference for overcoming bottlenecks in the electrification of long-haul passenger transport.
