Tata Motors-ISRO's Starbus hydrogen fuel cell bus spied testing; all you need to know

Remember Tata's much-talked-about hydrogen fuel cell bus that made its first appearance at the Auto Expo 2012? It looks like we could see the production version of the Starbus soon.

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According to reports, the prototype of the Starbus has been spied undergoing testing near the company's plant in Sanand, Gujarat, hinting at the arrival of the model. From the images shared by the folks at TeamBHP, the Starbus seems to be in its final stages of development and the company could announce the launch soon. With the government pushing for electric or alternative fuel vehicles by 2030, the initiatives of Tata would be seen as a welcome move.

Tata Starbus fuel cell concept was Tata Motors initiative on alternate fuels. It was developed with support from the government's Department of Scientific and Industrial Research under the Technology Development and Demonstration Programme.

In fuel cell technology, hydrogen is stored in compressed form. It combines with oxygen to generate electricity which in turn charges a battery to power the vehicle's motor, emitting only water vapour. This mechanism involves a fuel cell with gross peak power of 114 hp, coupled with a motor with the peak power output of 250 hp with motor speed from 600 rpm to 2100 rpm and torque of 1050 Nm at 800 rpm.

The maximum speed of the bus is 70 kmph and grade ability is 17 percent, which is suitable for city application.