India's secret fuel: A competitive edge with domestic benefits

Written By DNA Web Team | Updated: Oct 03, 2023, 12:12 PM IST

This initiative has the potential to elevate farmers to millionaires, cut vehicle fuel prices by just 15 rupees per liter, and diminish global reliance on Gulf nations for energy resources.

This technology, known as flex-fuel technology, has garnered renewed attention, despite its origins in the mid-1990s. Automakers worldwide are now emphasizing their dedication to flex-fuel vehicles, prompted in part by India's government actively promoting this eco-friendly option. As the demand for cleaner fuel and powertrain solutions grows, flex-fuel technology has surged in importance.

The alternative fuel known as flex fuel, is a mixture of gasoline and either methanol or ethanol. Internal combustion engines in flex-fuel vehicles are built to run on a variety of fuels, such as gasoline, ethanol, or methanol. These engines can run on any combination of these fuels.

Increasing ethanol production from crops like corn and sugarcane in India can redirect significant funds spent on importing crude oil toward local farmers, bolstering the country's economy and reducing dependence on foreign oil sources.

Nitin Gadkari, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways, introduced the world's first Toyota Innova powered solely by ethanol. This unveiling aligns with the government's initiative to reduce India's reliance on imported petroleum and transition away from fossil fuels.