Hydrogen-powered 8216;auto8217; debuts

India Trade Organisation Promotion ITPO will use the vehicles on an experimental basis.

The HyAlfa has been developed under a joint project by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation UNIDO International Centre for Hydrogen Energy Technologies ICHET,Mahindra amp; Mahindra and IIT-Delhi,with support from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

8220;The aim of this project is to convert vehicles so that they can carry and use hydrogen 8212; a carbon-free fuel and thus remove all pollutants,8221; Mahindra amp; Mahindra President Automotive and Farm Equipment Sectors Pawan Goenka told reporters here.

He said the vehicle is not yet ready for commercial production and further fine-tuning will be required before moving in that direction.

8220;Moreover,we also have to look at commercial viability of running a hydrogen-powered three-wheeler as the cost of hydrogen will be around Rs 250 per kg,which is not affordable at all,8221; he said.

Asked about the possible price of HyAlfa,he said,8221;When the product is on mass production,it will cost Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 more than a CNG three-wheeler.8221; On an average,a CNG three-wheeler costs close to Rs 2 lakh.

Commenting on the development,UNIDO-ICHET Managing Director Mustafa Hatipoglu said the DelHy 3W projects aims to demonstrate hydrogen technologies developed by Indian partners for the Indian transport sector.

Project coordinator IIT-Delhi Professor L M Das said HyAlfa marks a journey of 20 years from 8220;laboratory to land8221;.

ITPO Chairperson-cum-Managing Director Rita Menon said the hydrogen-powered three-wheeler could play a role in moving toward a newer,sustainable and eco-friendly mode of transportation.

8220;We are happy to be a part of this project and are specially excited about the cargo version,8221; she said,adding that her organisation plans to submit a report within three months on the vehicle8217;s performance to the project organisers.