Tata Motors, ISRO Demonstrate Hydrogen Powered Bus

Recently, at ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems Center (LPSC) in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu, Tata Motors successfully demonstrated a bus fueled by hydrogen. ISRO, was roped in to assist due to its expertise in handling volatile and supercool elements, such as the one used in these buses.

The hydrogen bus, which was a Tata Motors Starbus concept (seen in the image), used liquid hydrogen, stored in pressurized containers on the roof, to feed fuel cells. The hydrogen fuel cells generate the required electricity to run motors powering the bus.

Tata Motors' Starbus concept, first introduced in 2006, was the result of an MoU between the automaker and India's premier space organization. Since then the teams has worked together, finally culminating in the recent demonstration, which is the first bus of its kind in India.

Though Tata Motors has not said when the hydrogen powered bus will start carrying passengers, when it will, it is most likely to be introduced first in New Delhi, which already has plans to roll out hybrid buses.

Coming back to hydrogen fuel. It can also be used to run buses in a more conventional manner, by combusting it inside modified petrol engines. While this is more economical than hydrogen fuel cells and more efficient than petrol engines, it has a downside. The resulting byproduct is nitrous oxide, a more potent greenhouse gas compared to CO2.