When it comes to mobility we all know that every manufacturer is movig towards electric cars. In India, manufacturers like Tata are making great progress in this space. However, there are other manufacturers who are working on alternate fuels for vehicles. Hydrogen is one such alternate fuel which is being considered by many manufacturers. As of now, there are only a few manufacturers who have managed to manufacture a hydrogen cars. King of UK Charles III took one such hydrogen car Riversimple Rasa for a test drive last year when he was visiting Wales.
The video has been uploaded by The Royal Family Channel on their YouTube channel. The video is actually an year old when Charles was still a prince. According to various reports, the then prince Charles had visited the manufacturer Riversimple during his week long trip to Wales. King Charles is seen arriving at the office of the manufacturer in an Audi e-Tron. He gets off the car and is welcomed by the representatives of Riversimple and the Press. He then met and spoke to the organisers and also visited the workshop.
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A Green coloured Riversimple Rasa hydrogen car was parked right outside the workshop. The king went inside the workshop and saw how the car was actually getting manufactured. He also spoke to some of the engineers who explained more about the benefits and how the whole thing works once it is put together. Couple Rasa hydrogen cars can be seen inside the workshop. It looks like an extremely lightweight vehicle. After visiting the workshop, King Charles walks towards the Green coloured Riversimple Rasa parked outside the workshop. He opens the butterfly doors and then sits inside the car. He is accompanied by another gentleman who is probably a representative of the brand.
Riversimple Rasa looks different from regular cars that we see on the road. It looks small and with the thin wheels are pushed to the four corners of the car. It should be noted that the car can only accommodate two people at a time. Unlike petrol or diesel cars, hydrogen cars do not emit any pollutants. It only emits water vapour. The car seen here in the video, Riversimple Rasa has a claimed range of 300 miles which is 482 km. It is a good range for a car especially when you consider the fact that it only takes in 1.5 kgs of hydrogen. It is being marketed as light to handle, responsive and fun to drive car. Riversimple Rasa can do 0-100 kmph in 9.7 seconds.
It was first showcased as a concept back in 2016 London Motor Show. When the video was recorded the manufacturer was building several Rasas for trials. Manufacturers like Hyundai and Toyota has also ventured into the hydrogen fuel cell cars. We have not one but two Toyota Mirai Hydrogen cars registered in India. They have been brought to India for research purposes. The research is being done for the network of hydrogen fuel stations that will be needed to run hydrogen-powered vehicles.
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