Tata Motors is gearing up to roll out India’s first hydrogen-fuelled vehicle in a partnership with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

This will be a mini-bus scheduled to debut in 2009. ISRO will provide its recently tested cryogenic engine technology. A car is tipped to be next in line.

“We have been successful in adapting the system for a bus or car engine and are fine-tuning it. The vehicle will be ready in two years. It will emit only water vapour and will not pollute the environment,” ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair told DNA.

Tata Motors confirmed to DNA that its advance engineering team is working on the project with ISRO but declined to give details “because of confidentiality.”

The steep cost of fuel cells for such cars means a prototype can cost Rs 1 crore but once it is into mass production, prices could be comparable to petrol-driven cars.

ISRO tested the first full-stage cryogenic engine on November 15 at the liquid propulsion systems centre at Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. This will be employed as the upper stage in India’s next geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) to be launched early next year.

Nair said adapting cryogenics for road transport involved several challenges. “Be it a rocket or car, safety is our prime concern. Hydrogen is a difficult gas to handle as its flame is colourless. There is also the challenge of storing and regulating it at high pressures and low temperatures in vehicles. We have achieved that and will soon join countries such as Germany, which produce zero-emission vehicles,” he added.

People working on the project said though the optimum fuel tank size and efficiency are yet to be arrived at, a ‘normal full tank’ hydrogen car can drive for about 300 km. The team is also working on prototypes mixing hydrogen with CNG for lower pollution and higher fuel efficiency.

Tata Motors has also entered into an agreement with MDI of France to develop an engine powered by compressed air. “Tata Motors is working on or supporting development of alternative fuels, including bio-fuels, hydrogen, and also electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles, both for passenger cars and public transport, in a balanced approach taking into account environment protection and transportation solutions,” a company spokesperson said.

Worldwide, car companies are focusing on hydrogen as an alternative fuel given the need for clean air. Honda, in particular, has been doing a lot of research on its use. Its hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle, FCX, was certified for regular daily use by an American family in 2005, making it the first automaker to commercialise its use. More could be expected in the coming years.
src: Sifynews