The Goods and Service Tax (GST) Council in its 28th meeting held under the Chairmanship of Piyush Goyal , Union Minister for Railways , Coal , Finance & Corporate Affairs announced that the tax on fuel cell vehicles has been brought down to 12 per cent from the earlier 28 per cent. The GST council also announced that the compensation cess shall also be exempted on fuel-celled vehicles. The news comes as a breather for the automobile industry as it is working on achieving the Centre's goal of going all electric by 2030. The biggest relief comes to Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) and its parent company Toyota, as the Japanese carmaker will begin the feasibility study for fuel-celled cars for India. Currently, Toyota has the Mirai in its fuel cell vehicle portfolio and is also one of the products being considered for India, among others.
(Toyota Mirai Interior)
Also Read: Hyundai NEXO Fuel Cell EV Showcased At India-Korea Business Summit
A Toyota India spokesperson said, "We are happy with the government's decision to slash the GST rates on fuel cell vehicles. As a result, we can now consider various aspects for the Indian market including the feasibility of fuel cell technology. For this, we have few options in our mind, including the Mirai, which could be used for testing purpose."
However, the company showed concern over the import duty on cars that might cause a hindrance. But, the company is hopeful that this too will soon reduce so that India can get the technology for use. In terms of feasibility of fuel cell technology and vehicles in India, Tata Motors launched the Starbus Electric 9m, Starbus Electric 12m and the Starbus Hybrid 12m range of buses which are designed, developed, powered by alternate fuels and made in India. The Hydrogen Powered Starbus Fuel Cell bus is a zero-emission mass transport solution, for inter-city commute and has been developed in partnership with ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization).
(The Toyota Mirai can be refilled with hydrogen in just 5 minutes, while electric cars take hours to be charged)
Also Read: Hydrogen Is Right Choice As Fuel For Automobiles, Says Former ISRO Chairman
At this year's India-Korean business summit, Hyundai Motor India Limited showcased the NEXO, its next-gen fuel cell electric vehicle to the Prime Minster of India, Narendra Modi. The NEXO SUV is Hyundai's important step to develop low emission models globally and gets a fuel cell drivetrain which is lighter than a regular electric powertrain. The South Korean company says that the NEXO makes about 161 bhp of max power and peak torque of 395 Nm and can do the 0-100kmph sprint in 9.2 seconds with a top speed of 177kmph. The Nexo can travel about 600kms on a single charge according to Korean test standards.
Also Read: Tata Motors Reveals India's First Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus
Globally, Audi and Hyundai agreed to cross-license patents and grant access to non-competitive components for the development of fuel celled vehicles. The agreement is currently subject to approval from the applicable regulatory authorities and through the collaboration, both companies aim to bring the fuel cell to volume production maturity quickly.
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