New Delhi: Even as fuel prices keep skyrocketing, causing widespread public discontent, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari cruised into the Parliament in a hydrogen-powered car – the first of its kind in India.
This morning, the Minister spanned from his residence to the Parliament in the vehicle as part of a pilot project. Mr. Gadkari has repeatedly spoken about a transition to renewables and green energy.
The car can reportedly cover 600 kilometers on a full tank, which brings down the cost of travel to just ₹ 2 per kilometer. Moreover, it bears just five minutes to fill the vehicle’s fuel tank.
Visuals show the Minister sitting in the car’s front seat next to the driver. The white-colored vehicle has a green number plate used in electric vehicles.
Earlier this month, Mr. Gadkari launched India’s first hydrogen-based progressive “Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV)” – Toyota Mirai. He had also communicated a video of how green Hydrogen can power a car. At the launch, he stated that green Hydrogen was “an efficient, eco-friendly and sustainable energy pathway to make India energy self-reliant.”
In January, the Minister revealed that he would employ a hydrogen-powered car. “Toyota Company from Japan has given me a vehicle which runs on green Hydrogen. I will use it myself as a pilot project (on alternative fuel),” he had told.
Mr. Gadkari has often favored a green growth in fuel, expressing rapid strides in green fuel technology will decrease the price of electric vehicles (EVs), getting them on a par with petrol-run cars in two years.
Meanwhile, fuel expenditures were hiked again on Wednesday for the eighth time in the previous nine days. In Delhi, petrol and diesel costs were hiked by 80 paise a liter, respectively, according to the price information of state fuel retailers.
A liter of petrol in the NCR will now cost ₹ 101.01 against ₹ 100.21. Diesel will be sold at ₹ 92.27 from ₹ 91.47 per liter earlier.
In Mumbai, petrol will be retailed at ₹ 115.88 per liter, while diesel will be sold at ₹ 100.10 per liter. Among the metros, fuel rates are the most heightened in Mumbai. However, the costs vary due to value-added tax (VAT).
Fuel rates were held constant for over four months despite the spike in crude oil costs. The rate revision had concluded on March 22. However, prices of petrol and diesel have gone up by ₹ 5.60 per liter after eight rate revisions.
The rates were maintained amid the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Manipur.
