Pune/Chennai, Oct 23 (IANS): Automotive major Tata Motors Ltd said on Monday that it has unveiled two research and development (R&D) facilities in Pune.

According to the company, the centres are an engine test cell for development of Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine and the necessary infrastructure for storage and dispensing of Hydrogen fuel for the Fuel Cell and H2ICE vehicles.

“We believe Hydrogen to be the fuel of the future, especially for commercial vehicles. With the opening of this dedicated R&D facility to develop and indigenise Hydrogen propulsion technology, we are entering a new era of technological innovations and advancements in green mobility.

"The resulting benefits from an altogether new class of powertrains and engines will take our customers and our nation future forward,” said Girish Wagh, Executive Director, Tata Motors.

“This is a significant moment for us as we create Hydrogen-based internal combustion engine development facility and the associated infrastructure for fuel storage and dispensing at our Engineering Research Centre,” added Rajendra Petkar, President & CTO.

Tata Motors had showcased one of the widest range of commercial vehicle concepts at the Auto Expo 2023 held earlier this year.

It included the flagship Prima tractor, a heavy commercial vehicle in two avatars -- one with a Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine and the other with Fuel Cell Technology along with the next generation Hydrogen Fuel Cell bus.

On September 25, the company had delivered two first-of-its-kind Hydrogen Fuel Cell powered buses to Indian Oil Corporation as part of a tender bagged in 2021.