Now that the government has decided against formulating an electric vehicle (EV) policy, global carmakers have started showcasing what all they have to offer towards a shift to clean-fuel technologies. Hyundai on Tuesday showed the Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) technology to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the India-Korea Business Summit, 2018, in New Delhi.
An FCEV uses hydrogen gas to generate electricity, which powers an on-board electric motor. “Unlike conventional EVs, which run on electricity usually obtained from burning fossil fuels such as coal, an FCEV converts hydrogen gas into electricity, producing only water and heat as tailpipe emissions,” said SH Kim, V-P, Namyang R&D Centre, Hyundai Motor, South Korea. The push towards electric mobility gained momentum last year when Union ministers Piyush Goyal and Nitin Gadkari said that India would go all-electric by 2030. However, on February 15, Gadkari and NITI Aayog — the government think tank tasked with formulating an EV policy — said there was no need of an EV policy now. “Every day a new technology is coming to the market. Technology is always ahead of rules and regulations.
In India, it becomes very tough to change rules and regulations, so let there be just actions,” Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog, had said. “The Nexo FCEV is an important step to develop low emission models globally. However, as EVs need charging stations, similarly FCEVs need hydrogen gas filling stations,” said Kim. “We have found out there are two such stations already in India, in Delhi NCR.” Earlier this month, the company’s Indian subsidiary, Hyundai Motor India, had announced it will launch an EV in the country in 2019. Kim added that the company is exploring all kinds of clean-fuel technology options, rather than limiting itself to EVs.
