NEW DELHI: The use of hydrogen in the mobility sector marks a significant milestone in India’s clean energy and green mobility journey, Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi said on Thursday.
The minister also launched the Pilot Project for Field Trials on the Use of Hydrogen in the Mobility Sector. He drove a hydrogen fuel cell electric car, the Mirai, manufactured by Japanese automaker Toyota, to the new Parliament building.
He said the collaboration, along with the handover of Toyota’s Mirai hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) to the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) for real-world testing, brings innovation, industry expertise, and scientific rigour to advance India’s clean energy transition. He noted that such partnerships strengthen “Energy Aatma Nirbharta,” promote innovative low-emission transportation solutions, and align with India’s Panchamrit climate commitments, reaffirming the government’s confidence that green hydrogen will drive India’s energy economy in the coming decades.
“With this vehicle, we are launching not just an MoU but confidence, cooperation, and commitment to a clean and sustainable future,” the minister said.
NISE will undertake a comprehensive real-world evaluation under a memorandum of understanding signed with Toyota on the use of hydrogen in the mobility sector. Under the MoU, the institute will conduct an extensive assessment of the Mirai FCEV in India’s diverse road conditions, including heat, dust, traffic congestion, and varied terrain. The minister said the two-year testing period will generate critical insights to help scale up hydrogen mobility nationwide while building awareness, confidence, and technical capability among industry, academia, and policymakers.
He highlighted that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are clean, silent, and emission-free, releasing only water, and noted that fuel cell technologies are increasingly powering cars, buses, trucks, trains, ships, and stationary power systems around the world.