- Maruti Suzuki will launch a flex fuel car running 100% on ethanol on Environment Day
- Twelve companies, including Toyota and Tata, have introduced vehicles using ethanol blends
- E100 fuel requires engine modifications and aims to reduce imports and support domestic agriculture
Ethanol has been a hot topic of discussion in the automotive industry for the last couple of years. The government has recently notified new E30 ethanol blending standards. It has again sparked debate around the topic. On the newest development on the subject, the Minister of Road Transport & Highways - Nitin Gadkari, in an event, revealed that the country's largest carmaker - Maruti Suzuki, will launch a flex fuel car on the occasion of Environment Day that will run on E100.
As per PTI, the minister said, "Our biggest pollution problem is fossil fuels... petrol and diesel. That is why, as the Transport Minister, I am happy that we have introduced electric scooters, electric cars, electric buses, electric trucks, and now even electric tractors in the country. Not only this, but our farmers have now become energy providers and fuel providers for the nation. The vehicle in which I arrived today is an runs 100% on bioethanol. Ethanol is priced at Rs 65 per litre, and while running, the vehicle also generates 60% electricity. I have been using this vehicle for the last one and a half years. Compared to petrol and diesel, the effective fuel cost comes to around Rs 25 per litre. This is an import substitute, cost-effective, pollution-free, and indigenous. Vehicles with such flex-fuel engines are going to be introduced on a large scale soon."
He further added, "On the occasion of Environment Day this year, there is a programme in Delhi where Maruti Suzuki will launch vehicles running 100% on ethanol. At present, companies such as Toyota, Tata, Mahindra, and Suzuki... a total of 12 companies have already introduced such vehicles. Our two-wheelers have also arrived. We should minimise the use of petrol, diesel, and gas because 87% of these fuels are imported into our country. They not only cause pollution but also increase imports."
What Is E100?
E100 means 100 per cent ethanol. Yes, it isn't a blend - it is pure ethanol being used as fuel. Compared to petrol, E100 has a higher octane rating, which allows for better combustion efficiency in engines specifically designed or calibrated for it. However, E100 cannot be used in regular petrol vehicles without modifications, as ethanol is more corrosive and has different energy characteristics. In India, E100 is being promoted as part of the government's broader push to reduce crude oil imports, cut emissions, and support domestic agriculture, with flex-fuel vehicles seen as the key enabler for its wider adoption.