E85 fuel debuts in Mumbai; compatible vehicles, pricing and expansion plans explained

Mumbai has become the second city in India to get E85 fuel, after it was first launched in the Delhi-NCR region. Priced at ₹91.18 per litre, it is ₹9 higher than ₹82 per litre in Delhi NCR. Despite being priced ₹9 higher than Delhi, the E85 fuel in Mumbai remains ₹20 cheaper than E20 petrol, which has currently surpassed the ₹110 mark.

E85 fuel consists of a blend of Ethanol and Petrol, wherein it is concentrated with 85 per cent Ethanol and 15 per cent petrol. Currently, the E20 fuel being consumed by cars and bikes consists of an ethanol-blended petrol with 80 per cent petrol and 20 per cent Ethanol.

E85 Fuel: Which cars are compatible

The E85 fuel is not compatible with the majority of the products currently being sold in India. Hero and Maruti Suzuki recently launched HF Deluxe Flex Fuel, Splendor Plus Flex Fuel and Wagon R Bioflex, respectively. These are the only three vehicles, apart from the Suzuki Gixxer FFV, that are truly flex fuel vehicles available to buy in the country and that can run on E85 fuel. The Maruti Suzuki Wagon R Bioflex, however, is currently being sold as a commercial vehicle rather than a passenger vehicle.

The launch of the E85 fuel comes on the back of the government’s decision to move towards a cleaner, greener fuel alternative, while reducing its dependence on petrol and diesel. Ethanol, in India, is produced from crops grown domestically, including sugarcane, maize and corn. Since it is being domestically produced, it massively reduces dependence on imported fuel, thereby selling it at a lower rate than E20 petrol.

E85 Fuel: Expansion Plans

With the fuel now being sold in two of the biggest metropolitan cities in India, the government of India aims to expand to 500 outlets by December 2026 and across 5,000 stations in the country by the end of 2027. As the government continues to double down on the expansion of the E85 blended fuel in India, automakers are expected to introduce new models in the market, owing to the availability of E85 fuel across the country.

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