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8 min ago 2 min read
Two hydrogen fuel cell-powered buses have entered service in India’s capital city with public transport operator, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).
The Tata Motors-made buses were originally delivered to the state-owned oil and gas firm IndianOil in 2023, but have been repurposed for the initiative.
The 12-metre, 35-passenger buses, driven by a 70kW fuel cell stack, operate in New Delhi five days a week, connecting key locations and government offices.
The source of hydrogen fuel for the vehicles remains unclear.
India has been eyeing hydrogen bus deployments since 2025, when it plans to pilot 37 fuel cell and internal combustion engine vehicles, included under Rs 496 crore ($60m) of mobility pilot projects.
It remains unclear whether the two Delhi buses are part of these pilots.
In 2024, IndianOil also a hydrogen-powered fuel cell bus to the Indian Army to assess their performance in public transit.
Proponents argue that hydrogen is well-suited to the back-to-base nature of public transport operations, which provides predictable refuelling.
However, hydrogen mobility more broadly continues to face criticism for its low energy efficiency compared to electric vehicles and high fuel costs.
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