DSM Global Company said it would be rolling out Grove brand hydrogen-powered cars in Nepal. The company signed an agreement with Grove Hydrogen Automotive Company, China on April 19 to import hydrogen cars for the first time in Nepal. It plans to receive deliveries next year.

Hydrogen cars use hydrogen gas produced from industrial waste as fuel and are zero-emission vehicles. Fuel cell vehicles convert hydrogen gas into electricity which runs a motor. The process produces water and heat as a by-product.

Devshworup Maharjan, managing director of the company, said that hydrogen vehicles are noise and pollution free. Hydrogen cars can go 1,000 km on 5 kg of hydrogen, which is more economical compared to fossil fuel vehicles, he said. An equivalent petrol-driven car may need 100 kg of petrol and an equivalent electric car may need a 2-tonne battery to go the same distance on average.

Maharjan said that hydrogen vehicles do not take a lot of time to refill and have minimum maintenance costs. The company plans to launch the vehicle by September-October of 2020. The cars will be available in three models—hatchback, sedan and SUV, and the price is expected to be around Rs8-9 million.

Grove Hydrogen Automotive is a manufacturer of zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in China. The company was established in 2016 and registered in 2018 under the parent company Institute of Geosciences and Environment.

DSM Global Company will initially import hydrogen fuel from China through Lhasa, and later set up a hydrogen plant in the country, said Maharjan. “We are looking for a suitable location to set up a gas plant.” The company will establish fuel stations in different places of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur.

The company said it planned to introduce the vehicle in line with the government’s policy to eliminate gasoline-powered cars by 2030 and provide tax advantages to zero-emission vehicles. Grove and IGE working together with DSM aims not only to offer zero-emission motoring but also explore other opportunities in the energy space in Nepal as the cooperation matures, the company said in a press statement.