India's first flex-fuel car from Toyota to be unveiled on September 28 by Nitin Gadkari

Tuhin Guha Published: September 16, 2022, 11:40 AM IST

At a recent event, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, stated he will unveil India's first flex-fuel car on September 28. More details are currently scarce, but a Toyota car will be run on a pilot project to test this technology's viability in real-world Indian conditions.

Toyota flex-fuel car, India flex-fuel norms

This flex-fuel car is unlikely to be one from Toyota's current Indian line-up. It could well be a development of the 1.5-litre motor as seen in the Hyryder's hybrid version but in its ICE-only avatar seen globally on cars like the Yaris. The project will likely test the way this engine reacts to Indian conditions as well as fuel quality.

Late last year, the government directed automakers to begin manufacturing flex-fuel vehicles and hybrid flex-fuel vehicles within the next six months. These vehicles are said to comply with BS6 norms and will be capable of running on either petrol or 100 per cent bio-ethanol and its blends. A more realistic timeline seems to have been settled on with pilot projects such as this one now beginning.

Gadkari said this move will help reduce India's greenhouse gas emissions drastically, especially across the entire usage cycle of petrol and diesel. The reduction in emissions will help India comply with its commitments made at COP26 of reducing carbon emissions by one billion tonnes by 2030. The government is yet to release a more detailed set of regulations on these vehicles, which should specify the ratio of biofuels to be used and if any subsidies or rebates are applicable to such vehicles.

Flex fuel vehicles in India Image source: afdc.energy.gov

Flex-fuel vehicle working

A flex-fuel vehicle's mechanical components are largely identical to that of a standard combustion engine. Although, some components in the fuel delivery system like the fuel pump and fuel injection system are modified to accommodate the different chemical properties and oxygen content of ethanol. The vehicle is also given some ECU tweaks to handle the different fuel. Flex-fuel vehicles are popular in South American markets such as Brazil and in Europe.