Thiruvananthapuram: A hydrogen-powered car has entered Kerala with the Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Thiruvananthapuram registering the first vehicle.
The imported Toyota Mirai, costing Rs 1.81 crore, was registered without additional expenses since the State government had issued a notification exempting hydrogen-fuelled cars from taxes.
The car, bearing the registration plate KL-01-CU-7610, was registered in the name of Kirloskar Motors.
The vehicle is powered by the electrical energy produced by the mixing of hydrogen and oxygen (drawn from the atmospheric air). The exhaust – or byproduct – will be heat and water, making the car environment-friendly.
Kerala currently does not have hydrogen-filling stations. The State government has initiated steps to set up such stations. Mirai was first introduced in Japan in 2014.