The government has notified changes to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, allowing flex-fuel vehicles that can run on up to E100 (nearly pure ethanol).
Vehicles that use E20 or normal fuel can’t use E85 or E100 fuel. The ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) has also reportedly changed certain vehicle classification thresholds, fuel specifications, and technical references used in emission-related tables and testing provisions.
A senior road transport ministry official told news agency PTI that fuel beyond E20 and up to E100 is intended only for vehicles designed and certified to use it and will not be applicable for other vehicles.
Maruti Suzuki India in June this year rolled out India’s first flex-fuel passenger vehicle with Wagon R Flex Fuel that can run on ethanol-petrol blends from E20 to E100 While other automakers are developing flex fuels. Toyota Motor Corporation, Tata Motors, Hyundai Motor Company and others are also developing flex-fuel vehicles for the Indian market as policymakers push to reduce the country’s fossil fuel import bill. The government has also raised the vehicle weight limit to 3,500 kg from the previous threshold of 3,000 kg for light petrol and diesel vehicles affected by these changes. Flex-fuel vehicles are designed to run on higher ethanol blends such as E85 (85% ethanol, 15%petrol) and E100 (nearly 100% ethanol), unlike conventional petrol vehicles that are currently approved for lower ethanol concentrations.
