CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) and KPIT have successfully run trials of India’s first Hydrogen Fuel Cell car. The 10 kWe automotive-grade LT-PEMFC fuel cell stack is developed by CSIR’s expert panel. The fuel cell stack uses extremely thin metal bipolar plates, thus reducing the stack weight by about two-thirds.

KPIT has developed its own lightweight metal bipolar plate and gasket design, balance of power (BoP), system integration, control software and electric powertrain. Hydrogen Fuel Cell (HFC) technology uses chemical reactions between hydrogen and oxygen (from air) to generate electrical energy, eliminating the use of fossil fuels.

The test was conducted on a battery-electric passenger car platform retrofitted with the Fuel Cell Stack. The five-seater sedan was fitted with a Type III commercial hydrogen tank. Its capacity is around 1.75 Kgs of H2 stored at about 350 bar pressure. The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car should have an approximate range of 250 Km at a moderate speed of 60-65 Km/hr.

The technology is more suited for commercial vehicles (CV) such as buses and trucks. Battery electric buses/ trucks require a large battery to achieve the desired operating range. In comparison, HFC technology requires a much smaller battery for a very large operating range.

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