UPSC Prelims 2025 Q41: Alternative Powertrain Vehicles — Explained
Consider the following types of vehicles:
I. Full battery electric vehicles
II. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
III. Fuel cell-electric hybrid vehicles
How many of the above are considered as alternative powertrain vehicles?
- Only one
- Only two
- All the three
- None
Answer: (c) All the three
Statement-wise explanation
- I: correct — A full battery electric vehicle (BEV) has no engine at all. A battery pack powers an electric motor that drives the wheels. That is a complete replacement of the petrol or diesel internal combustion engine (ICE) drivetrain, so it is the standard example of an alternative powertrain. India's PLI scheme for automobiles (notified 23 September 2021, outlay ₹25,938 crore) names Battery Electric Vehicles as an Advanced Automotive Technology product.
- II: correct — A hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (FCEV) combines hydrogen with oxygen from the air in a fuel cell stack. This makes electricity, which runs an electric motor, and the only tailpipe emission is water. No fuel is burnt in an engine, so the powertrain is non-conventional. The same PLI-Auto scheme lists Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles alongside BEVs as Advanced Automotive Technology vehicles.
- III: correct — A fuel cell-electric hybrid pairs a fuel cell with a large battery or ultracapacitor. Both feed an electric motor, and the battery absorbs braking energy and meets peak power demand. Most real FCEVs work this way. There is no ICE anywhere in the drivetrain, so it also counts as an alternative powertrain.
How to eliminate
Start with the meaning of the term. A 'conventional' powertrain is an internal combustion engine burning petrol or diesel. An 'alternative' powertrain is anything that moves the car some other way: electric motors fed by batteries or fuel cells, hybrids, or engines running on gas or hydrogen. All three listed types drive the wheels with an electric motor and none burns petrol or diesel. Once you see that, 'All the three' follows without any detailed knowledge. Statement I is something nearly every aspirant knows is an alternative powertrain, so 'None' is ruled out at once. 'Only one' or 'Only two' would mean UPSC sees a real difference between a fuel cell car and a fuel cell-battery hybrid, and there is none on the point that matters (no ICE). Fact to remember: battery, fuel cell and hybrid-electric drivetrains are all alternative powertrains. India's PLI-Auto scheme formally covers both battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
Know more
Powertrain means every part that makes power and delivers it to the wheels: the energy source, the converter (engine or motor), the transmission and the drive shafts. A vehicle with a petrol or diesel internal combustion engine (ICE) has a conventional powertrain. Everything else is an alternative powertrain.
| Type | Energy store | What drives the wheels | Tailpipe emission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery electric (BEV) | Battery charged from the grid | Electric motor | None |
| Hydrogen fuel cell (FCEV) | Hydrogen tank → fuel cell makes electricity | Electric motor | Water vapour |
| Fuel cell-electric hybrid | Fuel cell + battery/ultracapacitor | Electric motor | Water vapour |
| Hybrid electric (HEV/PHEV) | Fuel tank + battery | ICE and/or motor | Reduced CO₂ |
| Hydrogen ICE | Hydrogen tank | Modified combustion engine | Mainly NOx, no CO₂ |
| CNG/LNG, flex-fuel | Gas or ethanol blend | Combustion engine | Lower than diesel |
Why fuel cells for heavy vehicles? A battery truck or bus needs a very large, heavy battery to cover long distances. A fuel cell vehicle carries hydrogen and only a small battery, and it refuels in minutes. CSIR and KPIT used this argument when they demonstrated India's first hydrogen fuel cell prototype car in Pune in 2020.
Indian policy links
- PLI-Auto (₹25,938 crore): its Champion OEM incentive covers battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles of all segments.
- PLI-ACC (₹18,100 crore): manufacturing of advanced chemistry cell batteries.
- National Green Hydrogen Mission (2023): funds hydrogen mobility pilots. One round covers 37 buses and trucks on 10 routes, 15 with fuel cells and 22 with hydrogen ICEs.
- PM E-DRIVE (2024): demand incentives for electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, buses, trucks and ambulances, plus charging infrastructure.
In the news
In 2024–25, alternative powertrains were in the news through PM E-DRIVE incentives for electric vehicles, the extension of the PLI-Auto scheme, and hydrogen bus and truck pilots under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. Together these put battery and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in the government's clean-mobility agenda.