Wednesday, July 24, 2024
By Kamal Swami
India’s Bold Step: A Steam-Powered Future
Today when electric vehicles are considered the best option for cost-effective transportation encouraging a green environment, India has made a stunning announcement in the automobile industry. According to a recent report, the US-based company Triton Electric Vehicle LLC, located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, is all set to introduce a new hydrogen internal combustion engine. The company has its R&D and production operations in India. The new engine uses hydrogen, emitting only water vapour, instead of conventional gasoline engines releasing excessive pollutants.
Himanshu Patel, Founder and Managing Director of Triton EV, highlighted the engine’s design, which optimizes hydrogen combustion, enhancing thermal efficiency compared to traditional gasoline engines. This improvement translates to lower fuel consumption and operational costs.
Triton's entrance into hydrogen-powered vehicles is not restricted to cars, they have also introduced hydrogen-powered trucks. These hybrid hydrogen trucks are manufactured at the company’s production unit in Bhuj, Gujarat. The trucks make use of hydrogen fuel merged with an electric motor. This combination offers full control and high torque, improving driving experience and fuel efficiency.
Industry experts believe, that the use of hydrogen in power trains can directly affect the production strategy of electric manufacturers like Tesla and other EV manufacturers in the USA and across the world. Moreover, the introduction of hydrogen-powered vehicles is speculated to offer a robust solution to the limited driving range and time of charging electric vehicles. It is easier to recharge the hydrogen cells compared to the battery used in electric vehicles.
Beyond manufacturing hydrogen engines, Triton EV is also looking to collaborate with other automakers and fleet operators to integrate this technology into various vehicle models. Patel speculates on developing an economy that offers cost-effective driving costs. In his words, “The cost of trucks will decrease as the use of this new innovative Triton EV Hydrogen Engine expands.”
The company is open to partnerships for supplying the hydrogen engine to other brands of commercial and non-commercial vehicles. The launch of Triton EV's first hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicle marks a pivotal moment for the automobile sector in India, signalling a shift towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly transportation that could challenge the dominance of current market leaders, including Tesla.
