New Delhi:- On Monday, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways of the Government of India announced amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules. The move paves the way for flex-fuel vehicles capable of running on E100 fuel, which contains 100 per cent ethanol. Flex-fuel vehicles are designed to operate on fuels such as E85, a blend of 85 per cent ethanol and petrol, and E100, which consists entirely of ethanol.
A senior ministry official said that fuels containing more than 20 per cent ethanol can be used only in vehicles specifically designed and certified for such high-ethanol blends. In practical terms, this means E85 or E100 fuel cannot be used in vehicles designed for E20, which contains 20 per cent ethanol, or for regular petrol.
Increase in Weight Limit for Light Petrol and Diesel Vehicles
The amendments include changes to certain vehicle classification criteria, fuel specifications and technical parameters used for emission testing. In addition, the weight limit for light petrol and diesel vehicles covered by these changes has been increased from 3,000 kg to 3,500 kg.
The government is promoting ethanol blending in petrol to reduce dependence on crude oil imports. E20 petrol, a blend of 20 per cent ethanol and 80 per cent petrol, has already been introduced in the country. In June this year, Maruti Suzuki India unveiled the country’s first flex-fuel passenger car, the WagonR, which can run on fuels ranging from E20 to E100. Besides Maruti Suzuki, other automakers, including Toyota, Tata Motors and Hyundai, are also developing flex-fuel vehicles for the Indian market. The ministry had earlier proposed changes to the emission-related provisions of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, with the aim of enabling the use of E85 and E100, as well as B100 biodiesel and hydrogen-CNG blended fuels.
