What is Flex fuel vehicle and why are they coming to India ?

 

What is a Flex-Fuel vehicle???

A flex-fuel engine is an internal combustion engine that can run on more than one type of fuel, and also a mixture. Typically, a blend of petrol and ethanol or methanol is used, and the engine is capable of automatically adjusting for any ratio, thanks to modifications like a fuel composition sensor and suitable ECU programming. Flex-fuel engines are capable of running on 100 percent petrol or ethanol and are already available in countries such as Brazil, the USA and Canada. 

India already has ethanol-blended petrol with a doping level of about 10 percent, and last year, the government brought forward its target by two years – from 2025 to 2023 – to produce 20 percent ethanol-blended petrol (E20).

The transport minister is also keen to have flex-fuel vehicles on sale in India soon. While today’s petrol vehicles can handle a blend of up to 15 percent ethanol, a flex-fuel vehicle is one that can handle a varied and higher blend, typically up to 85 percent. And here too, Brazil has a well-developed market for flex-fuel vehicles with manufacturers like Toyota and Fiat having multiple models on sale.

Why ethanol

According to various government statistics, India is a sugar as well as corn surplus nation, both of which can be used to produce ethanol, and thus Gadkari has long been pushing for ethanol-blended fuel. The Brazilian official also echoed this sentiment saying, “Brazil and India are the two largest sugarcane producers and have the potential to produce enormous amounts of ethanol.”

Thus Brazil's experience is something India can tap into and also avoid pitfalls that have arisen globally like a diversion of food-producing agricultural land towards fuel-producing crops.