Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said that top officials of automobile companies have promised to begin manufacturing Flex Fuel vehicles within six months. The minister reportedly said this while attending a recent business summit via video conference.
He said that the government is working on a plan to run public transport on 100 percent clean energy sources. Ethanol is blended into petrol at a 20 percent ration to create a blended fuel which is sold at around half the cost of standard petrol.
Vehicles to run on 100 percent ethanol
Minister Gadkari revealed that in a meeting with MDs of major auto manufacturers and industry body SIAM’s representatives he had been told that flex-fuel engines that can run on more than a single type of fuel will soon begin production. He said that most vehicles will soon operate on 100 percent ethanol. He added that efforts by the government are underway promoting hydrogen fuel and other alternative fuels that are green.
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The alternative fuel
Called the ‘flex fuel’ the alternative blended fuel is produced by mixing petrol with methanol or ethanol. Companies like TVS Motor and Bajaj Auto have already initiated manufacturing flex-fuel engines for their two-wheeler and three-wheeler vehicles, the minister reportedly said.
Ethanol blended petrol has been made available in several places in the state of Maharashtra, where it is reportedly being sold for less than Rs 70 per liter, as per a Zee News Hindi report.
