New Delhi Auto Expo: Hydrogen’s Three-Wheeled Future in India
January 26, 2008

By Nick Kurczewski

NEW DELHI, India -- Squeezing into the non-existent passenger space of a vehicle built for one turned out to be the easy part. The driver, seated in the center, and directly behind what looked to be a set of motorcycle handlebars, attempted to fire up the engine once again. A sputter, a grumble from the exhaust, one or two feet of forward motion, and then nothing. 

The bright blue three-wheeler came to an abrupt stop.

India’s hydrogen-powered future faces similar false starts and the occasional stumble.  But the fact that the world’s third largest economy (in purchasing power) has a roadmap for hydrogen in the first place – not to mention a Ministry of New and Renewable Energy – might come as something of a surprise to those who expect the country’s emissions regulations to be woefully outdated.

One of the quirkiest alternative energy vehicles on display at the New Delhi Auto Expo, and one that shows a logical step towards establishing the infrastructure necessary for hydrogen vehicles, is Mahindra’s three-wheeled hydrogen-powered auto rickshaw.

Known as the Hy-Alfa, it is capable of seating one, plus a payload in the pick-up bed located behind the passenger compartment. Dr. Arun Jaura, senior vice president of R&D and Product Development at Mahindra, assured us that the vehicle is a fully working prototype.

Not that we don’t trust him, but we couldn’t help but ask for proof.  After pushing the Hy-Alfa outside, I squeezed into the space to the left of the driver. After a handful of tries, the trike finally fired up. Wheeling around the exhibition halls at parking-lot speeds does not make for a full road test, though the three-wheeler felt punchy and had quick steering – important when darting around startled journalists.  The Hy-Alfa has storage capacity of 1.08 kilos of hydrogen, which allows for a range of roughly 80 miles.

The likeliest first home for Mahindra’s hydrogen technology would be amongst India’s city buses and taxicab fleets. In New Delhi, all auto rickshaws and buses have been CNG-powered since 2000.  According to Dr. Jaura, this cuts emissions by up to 40% –and has the added benefit of being much cheaper than gas or diesel.  But these gains are quickly receding as more and more Indians are able to purchase new cars.  A story in The New York Times reported that, each day, New Delhi adds another 650 vehicles to its roads.

It lacks a sexy shape (and a second front wheel) compared to concept cars seen in Detroit, but the Hy-Alfa could represent a huge first step towards establishing India’s hydrogen economy.   

Photos by Nick Kurczewski

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