Tata Motors bags order for 15 hydrogen-based fuel cell buses from Indian Oil

Tata Motors on Wednesday said it has bagged an order for 15 hydrogen-based fuel cell buses from the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL).

The auto major noted that IOCL had invited bids for supply of the hydrogen-based proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell buses in December 2020.

All 15 buses will be delivered within 144 weeks from the date of signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU), it added.

In addition to supplying the buses, the auto maker would also collaborate with IOCL's Research and Development Centre to undertake projects and collectively study further the potential of fuel cell technology for commercial vehicles, Tata Motors said in a statement.

This will be done by jointly testing, maintaining and operating these buses for public transport in real-world conditions in Delhi-NCR. The buses will be refuelled by hydrogen, generated and dispensed by IOCL.

"This order to supply PEM Fuel Cell buses from a company as respected as Indian Oil Corporation, further encourages our ongoing efforts on developing India-focused alternative sustainable fuels to transform the future of mobility in India," Tata Motors President (Commercial Vehicle Business Unit) Girish Wagh said.

The company has already successfully supplied 215 EV buses under FAME I and won orders for 600 EV buses under FAME II, he added.

IOCL Chairman SM Vaidya stated that the oil major has been pioneering the national efforts towards ushering in the hydrogen economy for various applications, including mobility.

This first of its kind project in the country is bringing the country's largest fuel supplier and largest commercial vehicle manufacturer on board to take the hydrogen and fuel cell technology to the next level, he added.

This initiative would also act as a stepping stone for various other key programmes of IndianOil, which proposes to introduce hydrogen-based mobility on different iconic routes and important sectors in the country, Vaidya noted.