Nitin Gadkari Visits Parliament In A Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle At Parliament: Technology Explained

Hyderabad: Union Minister for Road and Transport Nitin Gadkari arrived at the Parliament on Wednesday in a Hydrogen-based Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV). Gadkari demonstrated the Toyota Mirai, powered by Green Hydrogen. He emphasised the need to spread awareness about the FCEV and its benefits to support a Hydrogen-based nation.

Gadkari mentioned that the attention towards Hydrogen fuel is in alignment with the 'National Hydrogen Mission' which aims to focus on green and clean energy. He assured that India will manufacture 'Green Hydrogen' and establish refuelling stations, which would create employment opportunities in the sustainable energy sector in the country.

Hydrogen-based Fuel Cell Electric vehicle (FCEV)

Toyota Mirai was used to showcase the Hydrogen-based Fuel Cell Electric vehicle (FCEV) technology to the public. The first generation of the sedan was launched in 2014. The Hydrogen-based Fuel Cell Electric vehicle (FCEV) is a propulsion system that uses hydrogen and converts it into electricity. Unlike the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicles, these vehicles do not produce carbon emissions.

FCEV vehicles are fueled with pure hydrogen gas stored in a tank on the vehicle. The best part of this non-conventional energy is that it gets fuelled up in just 5 minutes, similar to the time taken to fuel an ICE vehicle and offers a range of around 482.8 km.

How Does The System Work?

Once, you fill the vehicle's fuel tank with pure hydrogen at the fuel station, the fuel gets stored in the fuel cell. When the vehicle is started, the hydrogen in the fuel cell starts to meet the oxygen from the air. This leads to a chemical reaction, which splits the hydrogen into two parts-- protons and electrons.

Key Components of a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Car (Image Credit: Alternative Fuels Data Center)

The electrons produced in this process flow through a circuit and create electricity. This electricity powers the vehicle's motor to make it move. After the process is complete, the only residue or byproduct produced is water, which is released as vapour or droplets, with no harmful gases or pollution.

In short, FCEVs run on electricity produced inside the vehicle using hydrogen and oxygen. This fuel is eco-friendly, quiet, and has a quick refuelling process.

FCEV: Benefits and challenges

The main highlight of FCEV is that it is eco-friendly which helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The second benefit is that it takes just minutes to refuel, unlike the typical electric vehicles which take long hours for charging. Additionally, the hydrogen fuel is versatile and can not only be used in cars, but in buses, bikes, trains, and even ships.

As everything has its own disadvantages and challenges, so is the case with Hydrogen fuel. The first challenge associated with FCEV is the production of 'Green Hydrogen' in an eco-friendly way, as the production of Green Hydrogen is expensive and requires a lot of energy. The storage of the Green Hydrogen is another challenge. As the fuel is highly reactive and produces large amounts of energy, the containment of this fuel is not easy.

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