Tata Motors Delivers First-Of-Its-Kind Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Buses To Leading OMC, Indian Oil

Automobile giant, Tata Motors has delivered the first-of-its-kind Hydrogen Fuel Cell-powered (FCEV) buses to the country's largest and government-backed petroleum company, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL). With this, Tata Motors takes a giant leap forward in its commitment to move India forward with smarter and greener mobility solutions.

These buses were built in Tata Motors' world-class R&D centre in Pune. These 12-metre-long buses are designed for easy ingress and egress with a low-floor design, can seat 35 passengers and were delivered after successful strenuous road tests and validations.

Girish Wagh, Executive Director, Tata Motors, said, "This is an outcome of the progressive policies of the Government, IOCL's focus on future-readiness and Tata Motors' R&D prowess, all collaborating to fulfil the common vision of clean mobility in India. The delivery of the FCEV buses to IOCL marks a significant step forward in this journey and we are grateful for the trust and support of our partners. At Tata Motors, we always prioritise nation-building and are leading the global megatrend of sustainable, connected, and safer mobility in the country."

Notably, expertise and experiences were acquired by Tata Motors from a collaborative approach with renowned industry partners and research institutions, for adapting the advanced hydrogen-based proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology to Indian conditions, and has played a key role in developing the buses.

Wagh added, "The delivery of these buses..heralds a new era in inter-city mass public transport and marks another step forward towards fulfilling the aspiration of sustainable mobility. With proactive actions to develop and adapt new age technologies, we are creating future-ready transport solutions for both cargo and people to address the mobility needs of tomorrow's India, today."

Tata Motors had won a tender from IOCL to provide 15 FCEV buses in June 2021, to evaluate the potential of hydrogen-based PEM fuel-cell technology in India. These buses are to be assessed as potential mass transport solutions for inter and intra-city commutes.

Further, Rajendra Petkar, President & Chief Technology Officer, Tata Motors said "Tata Motors is proud to deliver the state-of-the-art, new-generation, technologically-advanced, zero-emission fuel cell powered buses to IOCL. This is an important milestone for green mobility in India, harnessing the strong potential of hydrogen as an energy carrier, ushering in a hydrogen economy in the transport sector."

Petkar highlighted that this bus features a 350-bar hydrogen storage system, 70 Kw fuel cell stack, an electronic braking system & stability control for higher safety, an intelligent transport system, new-generation telematics for efficient, user-friendly vehicle maintenance and tracking along roomy interiors.

As a part of the MoU, Tata Motors and IOCL will continue to make further advances in the core technology related to PEM fuel cells in the times to come."

Tata Motors research and development facilities have consistently engineered innovative mobility solutions powered by alternate fuel technology, including battery-electric, hybrid, CNG, LNG, Hydrogen ICE and Hydrogen Fuel Cell technologies.