World's first hydrogen powered three?wheelers HyAlfa launched at Auto Expo in New Delhi

  • DelHy 3W project - joint initiative between Mahindra, UNIDO and IIT Delhi
  • Refuelling to be supported by Air Products Inc. USA
  • Technology for a cleaner and greener tomorrow

 New Delhi January 9, 2012 – HyAlfa the world’s first fleet of hydrogen fuelled 3-wheelers or rickshaws as they are popularly known as, were launched at the Auto Expo in New Delhi today.  The USD 1 million project has taken three years to complete, with half of the costs co-funded by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) International Centre for Hydrogen Energy Technologies (UNIDO-ICHET) based in Istanbul, Turkey.

The vehicle developed by Mahindra & Mahindra will be refuelled from a station set up by       Air Products Inc. USA at Delhi’s Pragati Maidan, where the fleet will be operating.

The project called DelHy 3W fosters the implementation of Indian sci­entific and industrial skills in producing a very popular mass transport platform to operate with the cleanest fuel.

“The hydrogen-powered rickshaws and the refuelling station were established as part of the DELHY-3W project that aims to demonstrate hydrogen technologies developed by Indian partners for the Indian transport sector,” said UNIDO-ICHET Managing Director, Mustafa Hatipo?lu.    

Speaking on the occasion of the launch of the HyAlfa fleet of vehicles, Dr. Pawan Goenka, President, Automotive and Farm Equipment Sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra said, “As part of its mobility initiatives, Mahindra has aimed at providing alternative fuel technology solutions and the HyAlfa is another step towards it. We have prepared 15 vehicles for integration of the optimised engine, storage system, fuelling system and safety features for this hydrogen fuel enabled vehicle”.

Dr Goenka further added “We are already working on integrating a comprehensive eco-system of sustainable mobility solutions, encompassing alternative technologies such as electric, hybrid and fuel cells into our research, development and commercialisation plans. This is our endeavour towards shaping the future of mobility while ensuring a clean and green environment”.

Three-wheelers are a common mode of affordable public transport all over Asia and have even become a kind of trademark for many an Asian metropolis. Two-stroke engines were used in the past but these have recently been converted to CNG fuelled four stroke engines helping improve air quality. The aim of this project is to convert vehicles so that they can carry and use hydrogen - a carbon free fuel and thus remove all pollutants. Pollutants such as car­bon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxides of sulphur and particulates are totally absent while fuel consumption is substantially lower as compared to gasoline with 1 kg of hydrogen giving around 80 km of mileage.

The Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IITD) was the DELHY-3W project co-ordinator, carrying out exhaustive laboratory tests on the vehicular engine under varying operating condition and providing the technical expertise to convert the internal combustion engines to run on hydrogen.

Mahindra and Mahindra developed the vehicle with all necessary changes to the engines, safety systems, fuel tanks and fuel lines. Air Products USA acted as project partner and sponsor by providing the hydrogen refuelling station and management and technical services. UNIDO’s India regional office facilitated the realization of the project.

India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO) is hosting the project and helping disseminate the Indian know-how. The Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has been closely following the project, while both the refuelling facility and hydrogen storage tanks on the vehicles have received all necessary permits and approvals from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO).

 For any queries/clarifications pl contact:

  • Roma Balwani, Sr VP & Group Head, Corporate Communications, Mahindra & Mahindra at balwani.roma@mahindra.com  & + 91 22 24975176
  • Shipra Biswas, UNIDO at s.biswas@unido.org & +91 112 464 34 84
  • L M Das, IIT Delhi at + 91 9868112900
  • Ravi Subramaniam, Air Products Inc. USA at + 91 9673337513