#fuelcell #tatamotors
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Welcome to NDTV Auto. In this episode, we are talking to Girish Wagh, Executive Director, Tata Motors on their commercial vehicles plans:
Questions asked in this interview
10
0:04This H2 truck, I want to ask: by when do you think this FCEV will become a norm in the Indian market?
2:06Do you think they can be adopted easily in India?
2:53How convenient are EVs for adoption, especially for long-distance commercial vehicles?
4:11Do you think where there's a hub, they have to do shorter limited distances?
4:42How do you see a solution to that problem coming soon? What can be the solution?
5:32How are you deciding where to bet and where to put your energies?
6:28And what is your capex if I may ask for the next couple of years?
6:45Where do you personally think can be a winner for CV trucks and CV business?
8:27Do you see replacement demand coming back after the BS6 transition? What are you expecting?
What you see behind me is the Prima H2 and FC truck. It's 28 tons. To talk more about Tata Motors commercial vehicle plants, their EVs, and the different types of electric vehicles they are planning, I have Mr. Girish Wagh with me. Thank you so much, Girish, for joining us today. This H2 truck, I want to ask: by when do you think this FCEV will become a norm in the Indian market? Because I believe hydrogen fuel cell is more convenient and suitable for long, big trucks like this.
This is a hydrogen internal combustion engine truck. As part of the government's hydrogen mission plan, they came up with a hydrogen pilot and awarded us the contract to run hydrogen ICE trucks on three routes. We are working with IOCL for fueling infrastructure. The routes are Delhi NCR, Ahmedabad-Rajkot, Mumbai-Pune, and a fourth route being evaluated: Jamshedpur-Kalinganagar. We will run around 15 trucks for 12 to 18 months, generating data for the next steps. Also, for the last year, we have been running around 15 fuel cell electric buses with IOCL in Delhi and other places.
It can certainly be adopted. 'Easily' is relative; every technology goes through a maturity cycle. Hydrogen is in early stages. We need economies of scale in green hydrogen manufacturing and distribution. As vehicle numbers increase, we get scale. For long-distance heavy duty, hydrogen appears better because batteries have limitations in range and payload.
First of all, I was mistaken. I thought this was hydrogen fuel cell, but it's an ICE. That's a new technology. How convenient are EVs for adoption, especially for long-distance commercial vehicles? The smaller ones are manageable, but these are heavy load carrying buses and trucks.
Battery electric with current cell technology has limitations. For good range, you need larger batteries, increasing curb weight and reducing payload. Hydrogen fuel stored in liquid form has lower weight and occupies less space. But hydrogen has its own challenges. Battery electric is suitable for short haul applications like ports and steel industry, where hub-and-spoke model works.
Yes, short haul defined routes where the vehicle can return are good applications. We have shown a 55-ton battery electric tractor that will be sold commercially. We are discussing with steel, cement, and port clients to decarbonize their scope three emissions.
Turnaround time is crucial. EVs take longer to charge with bigger batteries. How do you see a solution to that problem coming soon? What can be the solution?
Charging times have been coming down with technology improvements. The C rating is increasing. At the Hanover Motor Show, we saw new battery cell technologies with very high C rating. So there is good development, and these challenges will be addressed.
11 more exchanges in this transcript
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Wagh, G. (2025, February 5). Tata Motors Working On Fuel-Cell Technology | Girish Wagh Interview | NDTV Auto [Interview transcript]. NDTV AutoMate. CEOInterviews.AI. https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1052276/
