h2e Power Systems to develop hydrogen-powered three-wheelers

PTI, Jun 5, 2021, 9:25 AM IST

Mumbai: Adar Poonawalla-backed clean-tech startup h2e Power Systems on Friday said it is developing the country’s first integrated hydrogen-powered three-wheeler in collaboration with a Canadian firm.

The hydrogen three-wheeler concept is targeted at inter-city public and goods transport, integrating h2e’s fuel cell technology with a low-cost and low-pressure hydrogen cylinder. This technology has been developed by the Canadian firm Hydrogen in Motion.

This solution will bring a zero-emission public transport vehicle, which would be competitive on costs with other technologies, according to a release.

The project is part-funded by GITA, which is a joint initiative of the Department of Science & Technology and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

”India is on the cusp of a big e-mobility revolution, and we are moving fast from fossil-based mobility to batteries and hydrogen. We are already producing green hydrogen from our electrolysers and now developing a three-wheeler concept for inter-city public and goods transport using green hydrogen,” Sidharth R Mayur, Founder and Managing Director of h2e, said.

He said that GITA, which is supporting the project, has promised to amplify the zero-emission vehicle concept in India.

Grace Quan, CEO of Hydrogen In Motion, said India is a natural market for its low-pressure high-density swappable hydrogen tanks H2M technology, which can really be instrumental in Hydrogen Fuel Cell adoption and address India’s energy needs with zero-emission technology.

With the latest move, h2e has become India’s first company to have a product both in the stationary segment for power generation and to produce green hydrogen, and also in the mobility sector, as per the release.

”The high-pressure storage tanks always added to the challenges on the use of hydrogen in mobility, both on cost and integration. With the innovative metal hydrite cylinders, we will bring down the cost of storage substantially and provide a higher mileage to the three-wheeler owner and a better return on investment,” Amarnath Chakradeo, Co-founder and Executive Director of h2e, said.

Founded in 2011, h2e aims to produce and integrate fuel cell systems and solutions on renewable (green) hydrogen from waste and electrolysis in the country.