It may take around five minutes to tank up a fuel-cell car with hydrogen.

NEW DELHI: Toyota will study the introduction of the Mirai fuel-cell car in India, while homegrown Tata Motors and Korean Hyundai could be other manufacturers that may bet on zero-emission technology, following the GST Council's decision to slash duty on hydrogen-powered vehicles.

Fuel-cell vehicles, still in their infancy across the world due to lack of fuel stations and expensive technology, are seen to hold an edge over electric vehicles as they not only deliver substantially higher running range but also faster fuelling.

It may take around five minutes to tank up a fuel-cell car with hydrogen . Compare this to electric cars that need to be charged for a few hours to achieve full range.

And the range of a fuel-cell vehicle - which emits only water vapour - is strong. For example, Hyundai's Nexo - which the company had recently showcased to PM Narendra Modi - has a range of nearly 600km after single re-fuelling. Electric cars can run around 150km after a single charge.

Toyota Kiroskar Motors deputy MD N Raja told TOI, "It is encouraging to see the government considering technology-agnostic solutions when it comes to controlling vehicular emissions. Looking at fuel-cell technology, it will definitely be considered now. However, cars such as the Mirai may still be unviable as importing them after paying steep duties will make them very expensive."

A fuel-cell vehicle carries hydrogen fuel tanks, an electric motor, a battery and a power control. The hydrogen gas is fed into the fuel cell stack, where it is combined with oxygen from the ambient air. Together, the hydrogen and oxygen create an electrochemical reaction producing electricity that is used to power the vehicle with a by-product of water.

