India can utilise excess ethanol potential by promoting flex-fuel vehicles
Highlighting the potential of Flex Fuel Vehicle Technologies in energy and automobile industry Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Housing & Urban Affairs, said that these vehicle technologies provide opportunity of greater substitution of petrol by Ethanol as it is capable of using any of the higher blends of ethanol mix beyond 20%.
The Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas was speaking at the unveiling of the Prototype of World’s 1st BS-6 Stage-II, Electrified Flex fuel vehicle, developed by Toyota Kirloskar Motor. Elaborating on this, he said that this initiative by Toyota is particularly important as it introduces the world’s first BS 6 (Stage II) Electrified Flex Fuel vehicle prototype, which has both the flex fuel engine as well as an electric powertrain, thereby offering higher use of ethanol combined with better fuel efficiencies. “With Industry and Government collaboration, we see India becoming a global hub for cleaner technologies and achieving self-reliance in energy soon”, he added further.
Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India who was the chief guest at the event , expressing his views on the launch of world’s first prototype of the BS 6 Stage II ‘Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicle’, stated that this innovative vehicle is based on the Innova Hycross and is engineered to adhere to India’s stricter emission standards, marking it as the first-ever BS 6 ( Stage II) Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicle prototype globally. He mentioned that the forthcoming stages for this prototype encompasses meticulous refinement, homologation, and certification processes.
Shri Hardeep Singh Puri during his address said that India has huge Ethanol potential, much beyond E20 mix. This excess potential can be utilised by the country by promoting Flex Fuel vehicle (FFVs) and Flex Fuel Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicle (FFV-SHEV) / Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicle.
An Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicle has both a Flexi Fuel engine and an electric powertrain. This gives it ability to provide dual benefit of higher ethanol use and much higher fuel efficiency as is in case of a Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicle (SHEV), which can provide 30-50% higher Fuel Efficiency as it can run 40-60% in EV mode with engine shut off.
The Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister contended that various high-level bodies like National Green Tribunal (NGT), Energy Transition Advisory Committee (ETAC) have strongly recommended promotion of all green technologies including SHEVs & Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicle etc for hastening the shift away from fossil fuel and faster decarbonization. He noted that as technologies including SHEVs & Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicle etc. As Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicle uses minimal advanced chemistry batteries, it also guards against possible Geo-political risks of battery raw material supplies.
Shri Hardeep Singh Puri also mentioned the steps taken by the Government to fulfil Prime Minister’s vision to achieve ‘Atmanirbharta’ in energy by 2047 and lead the global fight against climate change. He apprised that with the huge efforts made by the Government and the industry, in a short span of 8 years, the Ethanol blending in India has increased by over 8 times. It has increased from 1.53 % in 2014 to around 11.5 % (Mar ’23) leading to savings in the import bills and also lowering of carbon emissions.
Noting the efforts made by all the stakeholders, Shri Puri said that we have advanced the target for E20 blending to 2025 (5 years ahead of earlier planned schedule), from the original plan of 2030. He noted that with the strong efforts made by all the stakeholders, we will achieve this target. He said that E20 fuel is being dispensed at more than 3300 fuel stations across the country and shall be available pan India by April 2025. With E20 implementation by April 2025, expected import bill savings may be around Rs 35000 cr annually, oil import displacement will be 63 million barrels of gasoline (in EY 2024-25).
Minister of Heavy Industries Shri Mahendra Nath Pandey, MD & CEO, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Shri Masakazu Yoshimura and Chairperson and Managing Director, Kirloskar System Pvt Ltd, Smt Geetanjali Kirloskar also attended the event.