India's first Hydrogen-powered automobile soon

Banglore, Nov 22: A proto-model of India's first Hydrogen- powered automobile, being developed jointly by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Tata Motors, will hit the roads next year, ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair said today.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the 14th Session of Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF-14) at ISRO Headquarters here, he said the car, which uses Hydrogen and atmospheric Oxygen, was based on Cryogenic Technology.

The automobile would be environment friendly as it would let out only water vapour, he said.

''There will be no engine in this vehicle as it is completely electric driven. Hydrogen is the next generation fuel. We are trying to see other applications using it. We signed the MoU to develop hydrogen-powered automobile with Tata Motors last year,'' he added.

Mr Nair said Hydrogen as a byproduct was not being utilised fully in India though it can be the best substitute for fossil fuels.

''The major hurdle in developing Hydrogen-powered vehicles is that we have not yet mastered the fuel cell technology. We are trying to get some models from outside. With the help of Tatas, we want to see how best we can launch a proto-model on road next year. This will be the vehicle for the future,'' he added.

UNI