Today, the need for energy-efficient cars in India has become more of a necessity than a luxury. Hydrogen cars are now a better alternative to conventional fossil-fuel-powered vehicles. Hydrogen vehicles work by combining hydrogen and oxygen in a fuel cell, which then releases electricity and water as by-products.
Hydrogen cars in India can be highly beneficial compared to conventional cars, given their increased efficiency, zero-emission driving, and longer driving ranges. They help improve our surroundings by cutting down dependency on fossil fuels.
So, even if there aren’t any hydrogen cars in India yet, various car manufacturers have plans to soon introduce such vehicles, including cars, trucks, SUVs, and buses. This article strives to help you understand how hydrogen-powered vehicles work, the current status and challenges of hydrogen cars in India, and more.
How Do Hydrogen-Powered Cars in India Work?
Here are the steps describing how hydrogen-powered cars work:
- First, the car contains a tank with compressed hydrogen gas (H2) stored under high pressure. The tank carries enough hydrogen to power the vehicle for hundreds of kilometres.
- The fuel cell stack contains thin electrode and electrolyte layers. It works by converting the hydrogen's chemical energy into electrical energy.
- Next is the hydrogen oxidation process. The engine system pumps hydrogen to the fuel cell stack, where hydrogen molecules split into protons (H+) and electrons (e-). The protons move via the electrolyte membrane, while the electrons follow an external circuit, which sparks off an electrical current.
- The oxygen reduction process follows, where the engine system extracts air from the atmosphere. The system filters the air to get rid of dust and pollutants. The air then goes to the fuel stack, where oxygen molecules combine with the protons and electrons (positive cathode) to form water (H2O).
- The vehicle now regulates the voltage, which generates electricity to drive the electric motor and move the car forward.
- Finally, the motor mechanism helps collect excess water produced from the fuel cell stack and releases it through the exhaust pipe as water vapour. The water vapour emitted from the vehicle is environmentally friendly and causes zero emission.
Note: The vehicle has a battery, which stores excess electricity and helps supply extra power whenever necessary.
Current Status of Hydrogen Cars in India
In the early 2000s, the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) formulated a hydrogen-powered three-wheeler together. India began progressing in trying out hydrogen car processing but with many challenges despite availing of multiple opportunities.
Currently, hydrogen cars are not available for sale in India. However, some car manufacturers have shown interest in bringing such vehicles to the market. Some promising initiatives and developments for hydrogen cars in India include:
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The Pilot Project for Hydrogen-Based Advanced Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV)
The Union Ministry for Road Transport and Highways, in collaboration with Toyota Kirloskar Motor and the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT), launched the pilot project in March 2023. The project intends to study and evaluate the performance of India's first hydrogen car, the Toyota Mirai. It is one of the world's first hydrogen-fuelled electric vehicles that will operate on Indian roads.
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Hyundai Launch of a Hydrogen-Powered Sports Utility Vehicle
Korean car maker Hyundai plans to launch a hydrogen-powered sports utility vehicle by 2024. According to sources, Nexo, the hydrogen-powered car, is already available in the markets of Europe, the US, and South Korea.
Challenges for Hydrogen Cars in India
The development of hydrogen cars in India faces the following significant challenges:
Hydrogen fuel car technology is costly to produce and maintain. Thus, the initial costs of hydrogen-based vehicles in India will be high regarding manufacturing, storage, and delivery. This mainly stems from a lack of the required advanced technology and adequate large-scale operations to help lower costs.
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Infrastructure Development
As the technology is in its early stages of development in India, the country still lacks a reliable network of hydrogen refuelling stations, which is necessary for the large-scale adoption of hydrogen cars. According to Statista, India has only four hydrogen dispensing stations, while Japan has 161, and China has 250.
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Cheaper Vehicle Alternatives Available
Green hydrogen cars in India are likely to experience tough competition from cheaper alternatives, such as electric and conventional vehicles, which are widely available in the country.
The demand for hydrogen cars in India is still very lukewarm. This is from a lack of awareness and also because the public and private sectors have not yet embraced the technology. Many people don't know the features and benefits of hydrogen cars, while others are unsure about their safety and performance.
Hydrogen is a highly inflammable gas. Its production, storage, and transportation require special safety precautions. Handling such critical safety concerns and convincing authorities of the safety of hydrogen technology is not easy.
Hydrogen vs Electric vs Traditional Cars: Key Differences
The key differences between the three types of vehicles include:
- Energy efficiency: Electric cars are the most efficient, with the highest energy conversion rate of approximately 80% from the source to the wheels. Hydrogen fuel cars have a slightly lower efficiency of about 50%. Energy loss occurs during hydrogen production, storage, and conversion. Traditional vehicles have the lowest efficiency of approximately 20%. Excess energy loss occurs in the form of heat and emissions.
- Environmental Impact: Electric and hydrogen fuel cars tend to emit zero tailpipe emissions. They don't release harmful gas particles when operational. Traditional vehicles have the highest environmental impact because they release toxic gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and other microscopic pollutants.
- Car Insurance: The price of any good car insurance policy will depend on the vehicle's market value. Electric cars are more expensive to insure because they are fitted with several cutting-edge technologies. Once launched, hydrogen cars will also be expensive to insure because they have many high-tech features. Conversely, traditional vehicles tend to be relatively inexpensive to insure as they don't have sport cutting-edge technologies.
- Availability: Traditional cars are the most widely available since they have a well-established infrastructure of car dealerships, service centres, and gas stations. Electric cars are also becoming more widely available as the number of electric car models and charging stations increases. However, hydrogen fuel cars lag far behind regarding popularity.
Conclusion
India was one of the first countries to try out hydrogen cars. Later, they experimented with hydrogen car processing, which offered multiple opportunities but faced many challenges. Presently, India has no hydrogen cars for sale, but several car manufacturers continue to express interest in bringing such vehicles to the market. Indeed, it will be exciting to see how new and improved vehicle technologies will help India step up to embrace clean and affordable energy in the coming days.
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