Tata Motors begins trials of hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks for long haul transportation

Tata Motors Executive Director Girish Wagh said that the trial phase will span up to 24 months and involves deployment of 16 advanced hydrogen-powered vehicles with varying configurations and payload capacities.

New Delhi: Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and New and Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday flagged off Tata Motors hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks for trial runs to assess their viability for long haul transportation solutions.

The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, has awarded the tender to Tata Motors for the trial run.

The trucks, equipped with Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engines (H2-ICE) and Fuel Cell (H2-FCEV) technologies, will be tested on India's most prominent freight routes, including those around Mumbai, Pune, Delhi-NCR, Surat, Vadodara, Jamshedpur and Kalinganagar.

The trial phase will span up to 24 months and involves deployment of 16 advanced hydrogen-powered vehicles with varying configurations and payload capacities, Tata Motors Executive Director Girish Wagh told media people.

During the trial run, feedback would be collected in terms of performance of this technology in real life operating conditions, infrastructure and commercial viability, he said.

As hydrogen fuel cells or hydrogen internal combustion engines can probably be a viable technology for heavy duty, longer duration transportation, the auto major is investing in the technology, Wagh said.

"Therefore, we are investing in it and getting into these trials to get real life feedback and understand how this technology can be deployed. So, from that perspective, I think this experimentation is very important," Wagh said.

Flagging off three trucks, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said hydrogen is the fuel of the future with immense potential to transform India's transportation sector by reducing emissions and enhancing energy self-reliance.

"Such initiatives will accelerate the transition to sustainable mobility in heavy-duty trucking, and move us closer to an efficient, low-carbon future," he added.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said the beginning of the trial is a significant step forward in showcasing the potential of green hydrogen in decarbonising India's transportation sector.