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Centre introduces E100 fuel norms for compatible flex-fuel vehicles in India (Img: Pinterest)
New Delhi: The government has revised the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, to include new provisions for flex-fuel vehicles designed to operate entirely on ethanol (E100).
The revised rules, effective Monday, expand the existing regulatory framework for ethanol-based fuels and update several vehicle emission and fuel standards.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued a notification allowing references to E85 fuel in specified emission standards and testing procedures to be replaced with E85 or E100.
Under the amended rules, E85 and E100 fuels can be used only in flex-fuel vehicles specifically designed by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The clarification aims to ensure that vehicles use ethanol blends compatible with their engine and fuel systems.
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The amendments also revise vehicle classifications, including an increase in the gross vehicle weight threshold in one emission-related table from 3,000 kg to 3,500 kg.
Other changes cover hydrogen-compressed natural gas (HCNG), petrol blended with up to 20 per cent ethanol (E20), biodiesel specifications and technical corrections in emission-testing tables and explanatory notes.
Earlier this year, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said that running a car entirely on ethanol could bring fuel expenses down to an equivalent of around Rs 25 per litre. He has also highlighted the growing use of ethanol as an alternative automotive fuel.
Gadkari said ethanol was being used in 19 countries and claimed that no complaints were being received from vehicles in India regarding its use.
Separately, According to the reports, India's ethanol demand could reach 17.9 billion litres by FY31 under its base-case scenario, assuming ethanol blending rises to 25 per cent.
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The report noted that India's existing installed distillation capacity of 18.25 billion litres could meet projected demand under both base and bear scenarios.
Under the base case, capacity utilisation could reach approximately 98 per cent. If ethanol blending remains at 20 per cent, demand could stand at 14.3 billion litres, translating into utilisation of around 78 per cent.
The latest amendments mark another step in India's efforts to expand ethanol use in the transport sector while establishing fuel-specific requirements for compatible vehicles.
