Automakers get six months to introduce flex-fuel engines in vehicles: Gadkari

Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Thursday has said that the government has issued an advisory to carmakers to introduce flexible-fuel engines in vehicles within six months.

Gadkari said he signed a file on flex-fuel engines that advise the car manufacturers to produce flex-fuel engines for their vehicles. The minister also said that the government has given the car manufacturers six months to introduce flex-fuel engines in vehicles that can run on more than one fuel.

Gadkari also said that the central government is working to encourage the use of green and alternative fuels. He further mentioned that auto companies such as TVS Motors and Bajaj Auto have already started manufacturing flex-fuel engines for their two-wheelers and three-wheelers as well.

"Soon, four-wheeler vehicles will run on 100 per cent ethanol. So, we won't need petrol... And, the use of green fuel will save our money," Gadkari further said.

Flex-fuel or flexible fuel is an alternative fuel made combining petrol with methanol or ethanol. The flex-fuel is claimed as less pollutant compared to petrol because of its biofuel nature. The flex-fuel engines can run on both petrol and on biofuel as well.

Currently, Brazil and the US are two major markets where ethanol-blended fuels and flex-fuel engines are used predominantly. India is one of the major consumers of fossil fuel and it imports 80 per cent of its total fossil fuel requirement. India aims to boost the production and consumption of ethanol and ethanol-blended petrol. India has already set a target to increase the ethanol blend in petrol.

Increasing ethanol blend in petrol and introducing flex-fuel engines are aimed at reducing the use of fossil fuel that will reduce India's fuel import bill. Also, this step would reduce the pollution level significantly.