New Delhi: Tata Motors, India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, on Monday delivered the first of its kind Hydrogen Fuel Cell powered (FCEV) buses to Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL), the country’s largest petroleum company, at a function held in the national capital.
The first two buses were flagged off by Union minister for petroleum & natural gas Hardeep Singh Puri and president & chief technology officer, Tata Motors, Rajendra Petkar, along with delegates from Government of India, Government of New Delhi and Tata Motors.
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On the occasion, executive director, Tata Motors, Girish Wagh said that it was an outcome of the progressive policies of the central government and IOCL’s focus on future-readiness and Tata Motors’ R&D prowess. “All of them collaborated to to fulfil the common vision of clean mobility in India. The delivery of the FCEV buses to IOCL marks a significant step forward in this journey and we are grateful for the trust and support of our partners,” said Wagh.
Citing the national building as priority of Tata Motors, Wagh said the company is leading the global mega trend of sustainable, connected, and safer mobility in the country. “The delivery of these buses today heralds a new era in inter-city mass public transport and marks another step forward towards fulfilling the aspiration of sustainable mobility,” he added.
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The Hydrogen-powered buses are built at the manufacturer’s world-class R&D centre in Pune. These 12-metre-long buses have a low floor design and have a seating capacity of 35 passengers. Powering the bus is a 70 kW hydrogen fuel cell technology.
Speaking about the technology and innovations incorporated in these FCEV buses, Petkar said, “Tata Motors is proud to deliver the state-of-the-art, new-generation, technologically-advanced, zero-emission fuel cell powered buses to IOCL.”
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This bus features a 350-bar hydrogen storage system, 70 kW fuel cell stack, electronic braking system & stability control for higher safety, intelligent transport system, new-generation telematics for efficient, user friendly vehicle maintenance and tracking along with roomy interiors. This development is a testimony to Tata Motors’ continued commitment and leadership towards carbon neutrality.
In June 2021, Tata Motors had won a tender from IOCL to provide 15 FCEV buses to evaluate the potential of hydrogen-based PEM fuel-cell technology in India As a part of the MoU, Tata Motors and IOCL will continue to make further advances in the core technology related to PEM fuel cells in the times to come,” added Rajendra Petkar.
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Tata Motors’ research and development facilities have consistently worked on alternate fuel technology, including battery-electric, hybrid, CNG, LNG, Hydrogen ICE and Hydrogen Fuel Cell technologies.
