Nitin Gadkari’s latest ride is a Hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai that only emits water from its exhaust pipe
Within a few days after announcing a pilot project of testing the Toyota Mirai in India, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari was spotted arriving in the parliament in the hydrogen-powered car. The white-coloured Toyota Mirai carrying Gadkari to the parliament house was accompanied by his security personnel in other vehicles.
The Toyota Mirai, which was carrying the Union Minister, is the same car that is registered and used by Toyota in India for the pilot project for testing the feasibility of hydrogen-powered vehicles in India. It gets body graphics on the co-driver side door, which says ‘Powered By Hydrogen’. On arriving at the parliament, Gadkari found himself surrounded by many journalists and cameramen who seemed to be amazed by the aura of the Toyota Mirai.
Gadkari wants to make hydrogen cars popular
Commenting on the new pilot project carried out by Toyota and Central Government, Nitin Gadkari said that to accomplish the dream of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India), we all have to become self-reliant as well. One of the ways with which it is possible to develop vehicles running on alternative fuel options, out of which one is hydrogen.
The cost of running the Mirai will be about Re 1 per kilometre
While speaking to the press, Gadkari elaborated on the techniques, through which hydrogen can be created as a fuel for vehicles. He also compared the running costs of a hydrogen-powered car with those of an electric vehicle – while an EV costs Re 1/km, a hydrogen-powered car costs Rs 1.5-2/km to operate.
Indian Government plans to make hydrogen vehicles popular in India
The government wants to develop pollution-free green hydrogen as an alternative fuel for vehicles in the future, for which the Toyota Mirai is used as the model for the pilot project. With this car, the government is studying the feasibility of the generation of hydrogen as a fuel, based on which hydrogen-filling stations will be established throughout the country. Gadkari feels that hydrogen-powered vehicles are the future of mobility in the country, along with electric vehicles. It is likely that cars like Toyota Mirai will arrive in the Indian car market very soon.
Hydrogen to come from sewage recycling
Want to know more about the Toyota Mirai and how it works? Make sure that you SWIPE UP.
While Gadkari refrained from talking about the cost of Toyota Mirai or hydrogen as a fuel for the moment, he has already requested the Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Mr Hardeep Singh Puri, to produce hydrogen using recycled water from sewage.
If the development and arrival of hydrogen-powered vehicles happen anytime soon, the Toyota Mirai might get the first-mover advantage in India. This car gets a 4JM fuel-cell powertrain, which is paired to a 1.2 kWh lithium-ion battery and produce185 PS of maximum power and 300 Nm of maximum torque.
Do you think Hydrogen fuel-cell cars will be as successful as CNG cars? Do share your comments below.
Keyword: There’s No Better Way To Popularise A New Fuel, Than The Union Transport Minister Himself Taking The Plunge