Govt allows E100 fuel in flex-fuel vehicles
New Delhi The government has amended the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, introducing provisions for vehicles using 100 per cent ethanol (E100) fuel in flex-fuel vehicles, with the changes taking effect from Monday. According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, references to E85 fuel have been expanded in several emission standards and testing requirements to include E85 or E100. The amendment allows the standards to account for vehicles designed to operate on higher ethanol blends. However, the government has clarified that E85 or E100 fuel must be used only in flex-fuel vehicles specifically designed by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The provision does not mean that conventional petrol vehicles can use these fuels without appropriate manufacturer specifications. The amendments also revise certain vehicle and fuel classifications. The gross vehicle weight threshold in one emission table has been increased to 3,500 kg from 3,000 kg. Other changes update references to hydrogen-compressed natural gas (HCNG), petrol blended with up to 20 per cent ethanol (E20), biodiesel standards and technical details in emission-testing tables and notes. The move comes amid efforts to expand ethanol use in India's transport sector. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has previously said that running a car entirely on ethanol could bring fuel costs down to the equivalent of around Rs 25 per litre. Separately, a Brickwork Ratings report estimated that ethanol demand under an E25 blending scenario could reach 17.9 billion litres by financial year 2031 in its base case.
