Nitin Gadkari reaches parliament in Hydrogen-fuel Toyota Mirai amidst rising fuel prices

Toyota India along with International Center for Automotive Technology (ICAT) will study and evaluate the world's most advanced Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) Toyota Mirai.

Nitin Gadkari in Toyota Mirai FCEV at Parliament of India

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, today (March 30) reached the Parliament House in Toyota Mirai, a Hydrogen based Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV). Gadkari emphasised the need to spread awareness about Hydrogen, FCEV technology and its benefits to support hydrogen-based society for India amidst the rising fuel prices in India.

While reaching the Parliament, Nitin Gadakri said, "India will soon become Green Hydrogen exporting country. In line with PM Shri Narendra Modiji’s vision of clean and cutting-edge mobility in India, our government, through ‘National Hydrogen Mission’ is committed to focus on green and clean energy."

Union Minister Shri @nitin_gadkari ji visited Parliament House by Hydrogen based Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) today. Demonstrating the car powered by ‘Green Hydrogen’, Shri Gadkari ji emphasised the need to spread awareness about Hydrogen, FCEV technology... pic.twitter.com/NNHewczvpc — Office Of Nitin Gadkari (@OfficeOfNG) March 30, 2022

This move by Nitin Gadkari to promote Hydrogen as an alternate source of powering vehicles apart from electric energy for EVs and CNG is seen apt at a time when petrol prices have crossed Rs 100 mark in some cities like Delhi and Mumbai and are on a continous rise. 

A few days earlier, Gadkari inaugurated a pilot project to test the viability of Hydrogen based advanced Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) vehicles in India. The pilot project will be conducted by Toyota along with International Center for Automotive Technology (ICAT) to study and evaluate the world's most advanced FCEV Toyota Mirai which runs on hydrogen.

Toyota Mirai has a Guiness Book of World Record on its name to run 1359 km on a single tank, making it the greenest car in the world. Toyota Mirai has an EPA-certified mileage of 650 km on a single tank. Hydrogen takes less time to refill and has zero tail pipe emission, just like Electric Vehicles. 

The project is aimed at spreading awareness about Hydrogen, FCEV technology and disseminating its benefits to support hydrogen-based society for India. According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Transportation powered by Green hydrogen is going to be a key technology option of the future with the significant application, especially across bigger cars, buses, trucks, ships and trains and best suited for medium to long distances.

With inputs from agencies