Nitin Gadkari sports hydrogen power car to Parliament, see pics

Nitin Gadkari, who has been the flagbearer for alternative energy amongst the Union Ministers, arrived at the Parliament in Delhi in a hydrogen-powered car. The Transport Minister was seen sitting on the passenger seat with the words “powered by hydrogen” painted on the car’s door.

In a statement made to the press on Wednesday, Gadkari said, “We have introduced green hydrogen which is generated from water. This car is a pilot project. Now, the manufacturing of green hydrogen will begin in the country”, according to media reports.

The Union Minister also connected the new hydrogen initiative to new opportunities for Indians and how it could play an important role in creating more employment.

Calling it the “fuel of the future”, Gadkari revealed in January this year that the car he was using was manufactured by Japanese automotive giant Toyota. The hydrogen fuel, however, was being brought from an Indian Oil station based in Faridabad. 

According to reports from Hindustan Times, Union Minister Gadkari spoke about the initiative in the Parliament too. In addition to bringing down pollution levels in India, using alternative fuels bring down prices of electric vehicles and can be at par within the next two years, Gadkari said.

“I can say within a maximum of two years, the cost of electric scooter, car, autorickshaw will be same as petrol-driven scooter, car, autorickshaw. Prices of a lithium-ion battery are coming down”, he said.

“We are developing this chemistry of zinc-ion, aluminium-ion, sodium-ion batteries. If petrol, you are spending Rs 100, then on the electric vehicle you will spend Rs 10″, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said in a statement in the Parliament, according to reports from Hindustan Times.

The news comes fuel prices have been steeply rising pan India, with one litre of petrol going over Rs 100 per litre in many regions.