Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), unveiled Japanese car maker Toyota’s first-of-its-kind pilot project Flex Fuel-Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicle (FFV-SHEV) in India, which can run on 100 % ethanol.
- The Toyota Corolla Altis FFV-SHEV, which was imported from Toyota Brazil for the pilot project, was unveiled during the launch.
Key Points:
i.The Corolla Altis FFV-SHEV was launched as a pilot vehicle in India to evaluate the Bharat Stage VI (BS -VI) compliant FFV-SHEV technology.
- Its effectiveness in promoting ethanol as a vehicle fuel in domestic settings and lowering carbon emissions, will be shared with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).
- It will be able to run on fuel with a 20% to 100% ethanol blend.
ii.In order to encourage the use of alternative and green fuels, the Government of India (GoI) has announced the standards for E95, E90, and E85 engines based on the percentage of petrol as compared to the percentage of ethanol blend.
- The GoI advised carmakers to equip their vehicles with flexible-fuel engines in 2021.
- The Toyota Mirai, India’s first green hydrogen-based advanced Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV), was introduced in March 2022.
Flex Fuel-Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicle (FFV-SHEV)
i.An FFV-SHEV has a flex-fuel engine and an electric powertrain.
- Due to its ability to operate in its EV mode for a significant period while the engine is off, this system extends the benefits of higher ethanol use and greater fuel efficiency.
ii.Flex-fuel Compatible vehicles may run on a variety of fuels, including a blend. Usually, a blend of petrol and ethanol or methanol is used.
- FFVs allow for greater ethanol substitution of petrol since they can use any of the higher ethanol blends ranging from 20% to 100%.
iii.Flex-fuel vehicles are currently available in Brazil, the United States (US), European Union (EU), China and Canada.
- Toyota Brazil has introduced FFV-SHEV technology in Brazil.
Ethanol & Its Global Usage
i.Unlike petrol, ethanol is not a byproduct of crude oil. It is basically a complex derivative of biomass left over from agricultural feedstock like corn, sugarcane, hemp (bhang), potato, and rice, etc.
ii.India is the world’s fifth largest manufacturer of ethanol, behind only the US, Brazil, the EU, and China.
- Nearly 80% of cars in Brazil, the world’s largest producer of sugarcane and ethanol, run on flex fuel.
- Ethanol is a significant alternative fuel worldwide, with Brazil having the highest average blending rate of 48%.
iii.The most popular flex-fuel blend contains 85% ethanol and 15% petrol.
- India has reached 10% ethanol blending and aims to attain 20% by 2025.
Recent Related News:
In September 2022, India’s 1st Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) Fuelled Green Truck manufacturing plant was launched by Blue Energy Motors at Chakan, Pune,Maharashtra. Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the launched facility with an installed capacity to make 10,000 of these trucks annually.
About Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH):
Union Minister – Nitin Jairam Gadkari (Nagpur, Maharashtra)
Minister of State (MoS) – General (Retd.) Vijay Kumar Singh
