Hydrogen CVs Could Gain Scale By 2030-31: MNRE

Hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles could begin seeing wider deployment in India by 2030-31, although they could require initial government support to achieve commercial scale, according to Abhay Bakre, Mission Director, National Green Hydrogen Mission at the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

In an exclusive conversation with Autocar Professional, Bakre said emerging technologies typically carry high upfront costs and require early policy support to build production volumes before becoming commercially competitive.

“Any new technology comes with a high cost. To bring down the cost, the initial lot has to have a subsidy. Without that, the numbers will not increase. If the numbers do not increase, the cost will not come down,” he said, adding that once costs become competitive and volumes rise, such support can gradually be phased out.

The remarks come as the government is already supporting hydrogen mobility through the National Green Hydrogen Mission and the Auto Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. While hydrogen fuel cell and hydrogen internal combustion engine technologies are covered under the Auto PLI scheme for eligible manufacturers, direct government financial support has so far largely been focused on pilot projects and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure rather than purchase subsidies for commercial vehicles.

Earlier this year, the Centre approved ₹208 crore for pilot deployment of hydrogen-powered buses and trucks, along with hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, to evaluate the technology under real-world operating conditions before wider commercial deployment.

Bakre said hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles are expected to remain in the pilot and technology development phase over the next three to five years before entering broader commercial use.

“We should wait for five to six years to actually see commercialisation of hydrogen vehicles. Pilots will happen, numbers will slowly increase and initially there will be public support. By 2030-31, many commercial vehicles will start coming on the roads,” he said.

According to Bakre, the pace of adoption will depend not only on advances in vehicle technology but also on the economics of green hydrogen production. He said demand from sectors such as fertilisers and other industrial applications would create economies of scale, reducing hydrogen production costs and making transport one of the biggest beneficiaries.

“The cost of green hydrogen has to come down. Hydrogen demand will come from several sectors, not only transport. When the economy of scale comes, the hydrogen cost will come down. Transport will then be one of the sectors that can seize this opportunity,” he said.

Bakre also said green hydrogen could play a significant role in reducing India’s dependence on imported fossil fuels. He noted that green hydrogen can be produced domestically using renewable electricity and water, enabling India to strengthen its long-term energy security.

“Hydrogen is offering a renewable fuel. We have renewable energy that comes from nature and we do not have to depend on anyone. It requires only renewable energy and water. For us, this is the priority. We are gradually phasing out imported fuels by using renewable fuels from hydrogen. Our objective is to establish this ecosystem by 2030 and then scale it further,” he said.

Bakre said continued improvements in technology, declining green hydrogen production costs and expansion of India’s clean mobility ecosystem would together determine the pace at which hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles move from pilot deployments to wider commercial adoption.