New Delhi: The central government will soon launch five projects on an experimental basis to use hydrogen as a fuel in buses and trucks. 37 hydrogen-powered vehicles would be operated in various parts of the country. Meanwhile, these buses will run services in the Thiruvananthapuram – Kochi and Kochi – Edappally routes in Kerala. The project was envisioned by the National Green Hydrogen Mission, which is under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Up to nine hydrogen refilling stations would also be built for the project.
15 vehicles will operate based on hydrogen fuel cell technology while 22 will run on hydrogen internal combustion. These vehicles will conduct test runs on ten routes across the country. The ministry stated that the pilot project would be launched in 18 – 24 months, and the central government will spend Rs 200 crore. The project will be run by Tata Motors, Reliance Industries, NTPC, ANERT, Ashok Leyland, HPCL, BPCL and IOCL.

Ticket prices, benefits
As per reports, the ticket costs of hydrogen buses wouldn’t be different from diesel buses, though maintenance charges for hydrogen buses are comparatively high. Apparently, across the world, transit agencies generally bear the extra charges of such buses without burdening passengers. Unlike diesel buses, hydrogen buses are energy efficient and do not pollute the environment. They are also quieter and can be refulled in about 15 minutes, unlike electric vehicles that take longer to charge.

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