Toyota Motor Corp., Hyundai Motor Co., Tata Motors Ltd, Ashok Leyland Ltd and KPIT Technologies Ltd have evinced interest in India’s maiden initiative to run hydrogen-powered fuel cell-based electric cars and buses, said three people aware of the development.
NTPC Ltd, India’s largest power generator, plans to issue a tender shortly to procure 20 such vehicles for pilot projects in New Delhi and Leh, the people said, requesting anonymity.
The state-run company is also expected to invite bids for setting up 1-megawatt electrolyzers each in Delhi and Leh to fuel these zero-emission vehicles with green hydrogen, the people said, adding NTPC may also run super-luxury hydrogen buses between Delhi and Jaipur.
“Besides Toyota and Hyundai, commercial vehicle manufacturers like Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland have also been working on developing such vehicles, and most of them are eager to showcase their technology,” said one of the three people cited above. The tender will be to offer a total of 10 buses and 10 cars for Leh and Delhi, the person said.
The government has been urging automakers to develop vehicles that run on cleaner fuels to curb rampant vehicular pollution in most major cities. It thus plans to promote hydrogen vehicles, in addition to rolling out incentives for local manufacturing of lithium-ion cells.
This comes amid the proposed National Hydrogen Energy Mission, which may mandate fertilizer, steel and petrochemicals industries to shift to green hydrogen. The proposal is expected to be taken up by the Union cabinet for approval shortly.
