Toyota Mirai, India’s first hydrogen-powered car launches by Nitin Gadkari

New Delhi: To promote carbon neutral mobility in the country, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, on Wednesday launched India’s first hydrogen-based advanced fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) at his residence in New Delhi.

The project has been initiated by Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd and the International Center for Automotive Technology (ICAT) on a pilot basis to study and evaluate the world’s most advanced fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), the Toyota Mirai, which runs on hydrogen, on Indian roads and climatic conditions. 

Addressing the media, Nitin Gadkari said, “This is a first of its kind project in India which aims to create a Green Hydrogen based ecosystem in the country by creating awareness about the unique utility of Green Hydrogen and FCEV technology.”

Calling it a win-win situation in the field of green and affordable energy future for India, the Minister said, “Green hydrogen can be generated from renewable energy and abundantly available biomass.” The introduction and adoption of technology to tap into green hydrogen’s potential will play a key role in securing a clean and affordable energy future for India.

One of the best zero-emission solutions is the Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV), which is powered by hydrogen.It is completely environmentally friendly with no tailpipe emissions other than water, “he added.

Recalling the Prime Minister’s call to make India a green hydrogen hub, he said, “It is an important initiative which will promote clean energy and environmental protection by reducing dependence on fossil fuels and thereby make India “energy self-reliant” by 2047.”

Union Minister for Power R K Singh , Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri and Minister for Heavy Industries Mahendra Nath Pandey, MD Toyota Kirloskar Motor Ltd. Masakaszu Yoshimura , VC Vikram Kirloskar  were also presented during the event.

Taking about the project, Union Minister for Power R K Singh said our government is passionate about energy transition and today’s launch is one such example to move towards green and sustainable energy.

“Our per Capita, emissions are 1/3 of the world average and our energy consumption is also 1/3 of world’s average and despite that India has the fastest rate of growth in Renewable energy in the world, that is because our government takes environment seriously”.

He said the LED program alone has resulted in a reduction in CO2 emissions of 113 million tons every year.

“We have pledged that by 2030, 40 percent of energy capacity will come from non-fossil fuel sources. We achieved this in November 2021, nine years ahead, and I am assured that by 2030 we will manage to install 500 GW of energy capacity based on renewable energy sources,” he said.

The name Mirai means “future” in Japanese, is the India’s first hydrogen-based fuel-cell electric car, launched. The Toyota Mirai FCEV is capable of running up to 646 km on a single charge.

The second-generation Toyota Mirai was launched in 2020.  The first-generation Mirai, launched in 2014, was a revolutionary FCEV and a global forerunner in mass production.

Although the Mirai has an extremely advanced powertrain and uses a new type of fuel, the Mirai is a regular mid-size, four-door sedan that is every bit as practical, safe, and easy to drive as a conventionally powered family car, the company said.

It will go as far as a similar size petrol car on a full tank of hydrogen and refuelling from empty takes between three and five minutes.