In my last post, I had talked about a fleet of 3-wheel hydrogen vehicles called HyAlfa being rolled out in India. These vehicles use converted internal combustion engines (ICE) for power.
Today I want to talk about a different company in India Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., who has contracted Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide Inc. (QTWW) in Lake Forest, California to develop hydrogen fuel systems for mini buses.
I get a lot of email from people interested in converting their vehicles with internal combustion engines to run on compressed hydrogen gas. When I respond to their emails on my short list of vendors is Quantum.
So, one of India’s top vehicle makers, Mahindra & Mahindra is asking Quantum to convert Mahindra’s 2.5L engine to run on compressed hydrogen gas. Quantum will also supply their own ultra-light fuel tanks, fuel injection system, electronics and computer controls to optimize performance on the vehicle.
Sometimes we get so caught up talking about hydrogen fuel cells that we forget there are other viable options when it comes to hydrogen technology. Right now, one of the less expensive options is converting ICE vehicles to run on hydrogen. India is grabbing hold of this wisdom and running with it.
In case you’re wondering, two other companies on my short list for hydrogen car conversions are Intergalactic Hydrogen and Collier Technologies.