Similar to China, nowadays india face the heat from global environment protectionist. India’s NTPC(National Thermal Power Corporation) rated as the world’s third largest polluting firm. Another similarity with china, india will ply fuel cell (ZEV-Zero Emission Vehicle) buses in coming years. Indian government already proposed 1 million vehicles running on alterante fules in 2020. Taking the initiative forward, Tata Motors and ISRO(Indian Space Research Organisation) plans to build a hydrogen bus by 2010(possibly before the commonwealth games). Tata and ISRO is already working on the project and a prototype is expected to be ready by December 2008. Tata Motors has contributed Rs5 crore to the project, while Isro is spending Rs1 crore in building the prototype. Tata Motors will build the frame and chassis while ISRO will provide expertise for handling(storing) liquid hydrogen. Fuel cell will be imported from canadian firm( possibly Ballard Systems ).
India’s first hydrogen bus will be a 60-seater proto-model. The bus will roughly cost Rs 80 lakh with per kg of hydrogen gas that will run it costing around Rs 120 per kg or more. A 40-kg cylinder will allow the bus to run 560 km, ie an entire day for a typical metro bus. “In short run it may be costly, but in long run when we are on the verge of hydrocarbon extinction, people will be willing to pay anything. We are working on a bus now because that will be more economical than a car as it would carry 60 people. In Phase II we will come out with a car with lower cost of hydrogen gas. Technological challenge of conversion of gas to electricity is immediate for ISRO now,’’ architect of the bus, V Vnanagandhi, programme director, ISRO, Ahmedabad, said.