Shanghai will test 20 locally-made hydrogen fuel cell cars in the city next year, and cars using new clean energy will be commercialized in following years as China continues to promote green vehicles, officials from the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission said yesterday.

Six new-energy cars made by the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp, including hydrogen cars, electric cars and plug-in hybrid cars, left the city yesterday for a 10,000-kilometer tour around the nation to test their reliability under different geographical and climatic conditions.

"New-energy car is the nation's key project, and electric cars and hydrogen cars will be promoted to save energy and to protect the environment," said Gan Pin, vice director of the commission.

The central government is encouraging the use of hydrogen cars, which generate zero pollution, can drive for longer distances and are faster than electric cars to charge.

A hydrogen car can run for some 300km and one refueling only needs three minutes, while a purely electric car can only run for 100km and one charging lasts hours.

China is set to build at least 100 hydrogen refueling stations in 10 cities including Shanghai by 2020, officials said.

"Shanghai will promote electricity charging stations and hydrogen refueling stations in public parking areas and those in residential communities," Gan said.

The only two hydrogen refueling stations in the nation are in Shanghai's Anting and Beijing. Shanghai is working on a second refueling station.