UPSC’s 2025 Prelims Q41 asked which of three vehicle types count as “alternative powertrain vehicles”: a full battery electric vehicle, a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, and a fuel cell electric hybrid vehicle. The answer is all three. Each one drives its wheels with an electric motor and carries no internal combustion engine at all. Only the source of that electricity differs. This article breaks down exactly how a BEV, an FCEV, and an FCHEV each work, how they differ from a conventional petrol car, and why a regular hybrid still doesn’t make this list.
🔋 Must Know
1. What Makes a Powertrain “Alternative”
- An alternative-powertrain vehicle uses an electric motor as its only way to move the wheels.
- It carries no internal combustion engine anywhere in the drivetrain.
- Only the source of electricity differs between the three types covered here.
2. Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV)
- A BEV runs entirely on a large battery pack.
- The battery is charged from an external power source, usually a plug.
- A single electric motor draws power straight from the battery to turn the wheels.
- A BEV has zero tailpipe emissions, because it has no tailpipe at all.
3. Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV)
- An FCEV carries compressed hydrogen in an onboard tank, not a battery pack.
- Inside a fuel-cell stack, hydrogen reacts with oxygen drawn from the air.
- This reaction generates electricity while the vehicle is moving.
- That electricity powers an electric motor, the same way a BEV’s battery does.
- The only byproduct is water vapour and warm air.
4. Fuel Cell Hybrid Electric Vehicles (FCHEV)
- An FCHEV pairs a fuel-cell stack with a battery or a supercapacitor.
- The fuel cell supplies steady power for normal cruising.
- A fuel cell reacts too slowly to handle sudden bursts of power, like acceleration.
- The battery or supercapacitor covers that gap, and also captures energy from regenerative braking.
5. Why UPSC’s Answer Is “All Three”
- UPSC 2025 Prelims Q41 asked which of these three vehicle types count as “alternative powertrain.”
- The correct answer is all three: BEV, hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, and fuel cell electric hybrid.
- Each one uses an electric motor as its only way to drive the wheels.
- None of the three carries an internal combustion engine.
⚙️ Good to Know
1. Not the Same as a Hybrid (HEV) or Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV)
- A conventional Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), like an early Toyota Prius, still carries a petrol engine.
- A Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) adds external charging, but keeps that petrol engine too.
- Neither one counts as “alternative powertrain” under this classification.
- Both still burn fuel in an internal combustion engine as their primary or backup mover.
2. Charging and Refuelling Trade-offs
- A BEV typically takes 30 minutes to several hours to charge fully.
- An FCEV refuels in about 5 to 10 minutes, much like a petrol car.
- A BEV converts roughly 73% of its stored energy into motion, well-to-wheel.
- An FCEV converts only about 22%, since hydrogen production and conversion lose energy at each step.
3. Who Makes These Vehicles in India
- Tata Motors and Mahindra are India’s leading BEV manufacturers.
- Toyota is piloting its Mirai FCEV on Indian roads through the National Institute of Solar Energy.
- KPIT Technologies, working with CSIR, built India’s first fully indigenous hydrogen fuel-cell bus.
4. The Fuel Cell’s Own History
- William Robert Grove built the first working fuel cell in 1839.
- He is often called the “Father of the Fuel Cell.”
- His original design used the same core reaction FCEVs use today: hydrogen and oxygen combining to generate electricity.
Test Yourself
🌟 Great to Know
1. Electric Cars Actually Predate Petrol Cars
- Electric vehicles are not a recent invention.
- Robert Anderson built a crude electric carriage in the early 1800s.
- By 1900, about 38% of cars in the United States were electric.
- Only 22% ran on petrol at that time; the rest were steam-powered.
2. The Battery Is What Makes Regenerative Braking Possible
- A fuel cell alone cannot absorb energy the way a battery can.
- That is why every FCHEV needs a battery or supercapacitor alongside its fuel cell.
- Regenerative braking captures energy released when the vehicle slows down.
- Only a battery or supercapacitor can store that captured energy for later use.
📰 Current Affairs
1. NTPC and Partners Pilot Hydrogen Buses and Trucks (August 2026)
- FirstAs of August 2026, NTPC Green Energy is piloting hydrogen fuel-cell buses on the Kandla-Gandhidham route in Gujarat. (Source: electrive.com)
- FirstA separate pilot is deploying 33 hydrogen commercial vehicles, including trucks, in Kerala and Madhya Pradesh, run by KPIT, EKA Mobility, and BPCL. (Source: KPIT)
2. Toyota’s Mirai FCEV Begins Field Trials in India (December 2025)
- FirstIn December 2025, Toyota Kirloskar Motor handed over a Mirai FCEV to the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE). (Source: DD News)
- FirstNISE will run two years of field trials across Indian terrain, weather, and traffic conditions, under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. (Source: DD News)
3. India’s First Indigenous Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Bus
- FirstKPIT Technologies and CSIR built India’s first fully indigenous hydrogen fuel-cell bus, seating 32 passengers over 9 metres. (Source: PIB)
- FirstUnion Minister Dr Jitendra Singh launched the bus in Pune. (Source: PIB)
4. PM E-DRIVE Scheme Drives EV Sales (from October 2024)
- PolicyThe PM E-DRIVE scheme took effect on 1 October 2024, with a ₹10,900 crore outlay. (Source: PIB, Ministry of Heavy Industries)
- PolicyIt offers a demand incentive of ₹5,000 per kWh for e-two-wheelers and e-three-wheelers registered in FY 2024-25, stepping down to ₹2,500 per kWh for FY 2025-26. (Source: PIB, Ministry of Heavy Industries)
- DataElectric two-wheeler sales reached 5,71,411 units in FY 2024-25 under related central schemes. (Source: PIB, Ministry of Heavy Industries)
5. National Green Hydrogen Mission Approved (January 2023)
- PolicyThe Union Cabinet approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission on 4 January 2023, with a total outlay of ₹19,744 crore through FY 2029-30. (Source: PIB)
- DataThe mission targets 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen production a year by 2030. (Source: MNRE)
Beyond the answer
Browse all science-and-technology topics →
📚 Keep reading
SciTech0146 — Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs)SciTech0169 – Fuel Cells: Why They Aren't Quite Like BatteriesIndGeo0097 — India's First Hydrogen Fuel Cell TrainEnvEco0021 — The National Green Hydrogen MissionUPSC CSP 2025 — General Studies Paper I (Full Question Paper)❓ Practice this topic
What does India's National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme aim to achieve by 2030?According to WHO, how does viral hepatitis's global death toll compare to HIV/AIDS?What can now cure most Hepatitis C infections, even without a vaccine?Since when has a Hepatitis B vaccine existed?🎲 Take a Science And Technology Quiz
Leave a Reply