Automobile major Tata Motors and space agency Indian Space Research Organisation are gearing up to launch the prototype of the world’s cleanest car that will run on hydrogen and emit a mere wispy trail of water vapour. There has been a growing concern regarding the high levels of pollution caused due to vehicles which run on either petrol or diesel. The present engines cannot prevent pollution and hence hydrogen could act as the fuel of the future.
An agreement for the pilot project to see whether hydrogen can be used to fuel automobiles 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. The proposed vehicle would use ISRO’s rocket technology. It would not have any engine as it would be completely electric-driven. “Hydrogen and atmospheric oxygen will combine together in the fuel cell and electricity will be produced”, he said.
However, it is not as easy as it sounds. Madhavan Nair said that the major hurdle will be the fuel technology and India has not yet matured in this field. He said that they are trying to get some modules from outside. Once cars that run on hydrogen are introduced into the market would it mean that the other vehicles will be phased out? Nair points out that even other cars could switch over to hydrogen fuel cell and run on hydrogen.
