Tata Motors, Indian Oil Corp to drive first hydrogen truck pilot project

Trial run on 3 routes to begin this quarter

Tata Motors, in collaboration with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), will roll out trucks powered by hydrogen internal combustion engines on a pilot basis this quarter, leading the way for the use of green hydrogen in the transport sector. 

This project is part of the National Green Hydrogen Mission. This pilot will run for 12-18 months to capture a host of information, not just on the product but also on the kind of refuelling infrastructure needed for hydrogen as a fuel. 

The two firms are expected to start the trial run, the first such in the country, on Jamshedpur-Kalinganagar, Mumbai-Ahmedabad, and Mumbai-Pune routes. The aim is to check the commercial viability of hydrogen internal combustion engines and refuelling infrastructure in India, said a senior Tata Motors executive.  The company also expects overall commercial vehicle (CV) sales to recover in the financial year 2026 (FY26). In the recently concluded Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025 in New Delhi, Tata Motors unveiled its groundbreaking hydrogen-powered commercial vehicle, the Tata Prima H.28. This is considered a major leap in the hydrogen-powered vehicle segment and is India’s first commercial vehicle featuring a state-of-the-art four-cylinder H2ICE engine, with a range of 550 kilometers. 

 

 

  “Tata Motors is the first OEM to get this hydrogen pilot allotment from the government. These hydrogen vehicles will start running on three routes in the country during this quarter,” said Girish Wagh, Executive Director, Tata Motors, who is also heading the commercial vehicles division. As per the plan, a total of around 15 vehicles will be deployed across the three routes. 

“This is also an experiment in hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, as well as the product. IOCL is going to set up the refuelling infrastructure at their outlets, and we will run the vehicles and understand the practicalities of it, so that hydrogen can be considered for mainstream use in long-distance trucking,” Wagh said. 

At the Expo, the firm showcased 14 smart vehicles in the CV segment, all integrated with ADAS, alongside six cutting-edge intelligent solutions that provide real-time performance insights, and four advanced aggregates. The company covered all powertrain options at the expo, including diesel, biodiesel, compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, ethanol, battery electric, and hydrogen internal combustion engines. 

When asked about CV sales not recovering, Wagh said that they are likely to be back on track in FY26. 

“We are looking forward to the fourth quarter as a very important barometer. This year, the first quarter was a good quarter, despite the general elections. However, Q2 saw a double-digit decline, especially due to heavy rains that impacted mining and even consumption. Following this, Q3 showed some pick-up, though it did see some decline. We are keenly looking forward to Q4 and we are expecting Q4 to be flat on a Y-o-Y basis,” Wagh said.