India is Set to Get its Very Own Hydrogen Car

23 November, 2007 07:00:00

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Tata Motors and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are teaming up to launch a vehicle that will run on hydrogen. The car, which has been on Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata’s mind since 2005, is expected to hit the roads by 2008.

An agreement for the pilot project to see whether hydrogen can be used to fuel vehicles has been signed and the work started, said G Madhavan Nair, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation that builds satellites as also their launch vehicles. “Tata Motors is working on or supporting the development of alternate fuels, including bio-fuels and hydrogen,” said a Tata Motors spokesperson.

"If we succeed, we can have bulk transportation system. Even cars to an extent can switch over to hydrogen fuel cell", said Nair.

While ISRO will handle the technological aspects, like storage and handling of fuels, Tata will manufacture the cars. Analysts, however, feel that the car will come at a substantial cost. “A hydrogen-powered vehicle would be costlier and a large number of hydrogen fuel stations will have to be built,” said an auto analyst.

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