China’s largest retailer has deployed a fleet of hydrogen delivery trucks across Shanghai.

JD.com says the ‘dozens’ of fuel cell vehicles it has rolled out take only three minutes to refill and can travel for 300 kilometres per tank, while carrying up to 3.5 tonnes of cargo.

The only emission the small trucks produce is purified water and it is hoped they will enable the ‘last mile’ of the distribution process to be carbon-free.

In early June, the company rolled out a fleet of 50 solar-powered delivery vehicles in Beijing.

JD.com has also announced an incentive system to encourage its logistics partners to switch hundreds of thousands of their delivery vehicles to renewable sources.

Hui Wang, Vice President of JD.com, said: “The strength of JD.com’s sustainable initiatives shows that a green approach to logistics is beneficial for the environment and much more.

“These first forays into the world of renewable energy are the beginning of what will be a complete overhaul of the way we deliver goods to JD.com’s customers across the country on a daily basis. It’s a very exciting time.”