A hydrogen car under ₹14 lakh? This company aims to build car of the future

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) is currently working on a hydrogen vehicle that promises to be a car for the future. The low-cost light electric small vehicle is powered by hydrogenand the body weighs only 90 kilograms.

The car, called Safe Light Regional Vehicle (SLRV), uses something called the sandwich construction which offers a very high level of safety to the vehicle.This innovative lightweight construction approach combined with a highly efficient fuel cell drive enables resource-saving, safe mobility.

The body of the two-seater SLRV is 3.8 meters long and kept low in order to achieve the lowest possible air resistance.It is light and safe - a combination that existing vehicles in this light vehicle class (L7e) often only have to a limited extent.

The material used consists of a metal top layer and a plastic foam inside.The front and rear of the SLRV are composed of sandwich panels and serve as crash zones.A large part of the vehicle technology is also housed there.The passenger cell consists of a tub with an attached ring structure.This absorbs the forces that act on the car while driving and protects the occupants in the event of a crash.

“As a new type of mobility solution in the light vehicle class, the SLRV shows how vehicle technology, conditions of use and economy can be combined.This makes it a tangible building block and a technology platform for locally emission-free, quiet and individual mobility, "says Tjark Siefkes, Deputy Director of the DLR Institute for Vehicle Concepts.

For the drive train, the DLR researchers have connected a small fuel cell with a continuous output of 8.5 kilowatts to a battery.This provides an additional 25 kilowatts of power for acceleration.This combination weighs less than conventional battery systems, provides a range of around 400 kilometres and enables a top speed of 120 kilometres per hour.On board between the two seats is a 39 litres pressure tank that can store 1.6 kilograms of hydrogen at 700 bar.The SLRV uses the waste heat from the fuel cell to heat the interior.

The design of the the two-seater car is futuristic and sporty and the overall weight of the vehicle is around 450 kilograms. The company said the SLRV is suitable as a commuter car, as a feeder in local public transport or as a car-sharing vehicle.

The SLRV team currently expects the price of the car to be around 15,000 euros (converted to ₹13.25 lakh.If it manages to launch the car at this price, it is likely to garner a lot of attention as a low-cost lightweight eco-friendly car for the urban drives.