India gets first hydrogen car Toyota Mirai | Differences between hydrogen car and EV

India’s Union minister Nitin Gadkari recently launched the country’s first hydrogen fuel car the Toyota Mirai, which is a Green Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV), and the question that immediately comes to one’s mind is how different are electric vehicles (EVs) compared to FCEVs?

The Toyota Mirai has achieved a big feat, holding the Guinness Book of World Record for running 1,359 km (850 miles) on a single tank. It is the greenest car in the world. The Mirai comes with an EPA-certified mileage of 650 km (405 miles) on a single tank.

The Toyota Mirai has been rolled out by Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd and International Center for Automotive Technology (ICAT). The Mirai is under a pilot project to evaluate the performance of the car under Indian conditions and roads. 

Toyota Mirai hydrogen car

This is a unique project in India and has been undertaken to give a big push to the green hydrogen-based ecosystem in the country. If successful, it will propel India to achieve its green targets early.  

Gadkari had earlier stressed on the importance of green hydrogen as a zero-emission motor fuel, saying he will himself use it during the pilot project. 

While using the vehicle, he will receive green hydrogen fuel supply from the Indian Oil pump in Faridabad (near Delhi). Gadkari is optimistic that green hydrogen will be the fuel of the future.

Many companies such as Reliance Industries, Adani Group, Indian Oil Corporation and National Thermal Power Corporation are spearheading the country’s mission to adopt green hydrogen, which is the cleanest form of energy. 

These companies have announced ambitious plans to transition to carbon-free fuel soon. 

India’s road transport ministry also urged auto companies to start producing new vehicles with flex-fuel engines in six months. 

These engines will give users the option to either operate a vehicle on 100 per cent petrol or full bio-ethanol.

Hydrogen cars versus electric vehicles

So, what are the differences between a hydrogen fuel car (FCEV) and an EV and will we have adequate infrastructure for FCEVs in the near future?

Distance travelled

A major difference between them is that most electric vehicles can travel between 100 and 200 miles (200 and 320 km) on a single charge. However, hydrogen cars can go up to at least 300 miles (490 km) on a single filling.

Like we said earlier, the Toyota Mirai can travel up to 650 km (405 miles) on a single filling.

Hyundai Nexo, which is also hydrogen-powered, can travel around 330 miles (550 km), which is nearly the same as the electric Tesla Model S, the best in the EV pack.

Fuel source

Green hydrogen is derived from water electrolysis via renewable energy such as solar or wind power and can replace carbon-emitting fuels like petrol and diesel. 

On the other hand, the ‘fuel’ in an EV is the battery itself. Elon Musk had once said that it is very difficult to make hydrogen and store it in a car. 

Cost

One big difference between hydrogen-powered cars and EVs is the cost. Hydrogen-powered cars do not come cheap and refuelling prices could differ considerably among countries.

Safety

On the safety side, hydrogen is a flammable gas, and so, there is a risk of the car catching fire or an explosion. This risk is minimised in electric vehicles.

Infrastructure

Toyota’s recently-launched Mirai, which means the future in Japanese, is a hydrogen car, which is one of the best zero-pollution cars. It is extremely environment-friendly, having no tailpipe emission.

Green hydrogen can be generated from renewable energy, that is, biomass, which is available in plenty.

But India, in order to tap green hydrogen, will have to wait for a few more years for beefing up infrastructure for green hydrogen fuel. But EV infra is already up and running in India.

Hydrogen exists in the atmosphere but in the pure form. And, pure form can be produced from, besides biomass, compounds like water, natural gas and other fossil fuels. But an e-car will just need a battery. So, fuel infra is also better and cheaper for EVs.

So far as refilling goes, India’s infrastructure is almost non-existent now for hydrogen cars compared to electric vehicles. To date, India has just two hydrogen filling stations, one in Faridabad and the other in Gurugram.

If we see a mega market like the US, in 2018, there were 20,000 EV charging stations and hydrogen cars had less than 50 filling units then. 

Refuelling

In the case of electric cars, refueling, that is plugging in, can be done from the comfort of one’s home. This, apparently, is not the case with hydrogen cars.

READ ALSO | Hyundai Nexo hydrogen car will sell well in India only after charging infra gets a boost

The time taken to pump in hydrogen fuel into cars is just 5-10 minutes but in the case of electric cars, it will take around four-eight hours for full recharge. And, 80 per cent can be done with fast charging and the time taken here will be 30 minutes.

Conclusion

Moreover, in hydrogen cars versus electric vehicles race, we must realise that EV infrastructure is in the fast lane, but in countries like India, one needs to wait for five years to see commendable infrastructure progress on hydrogen fuel.