The government has launched flex fuel which is Rs 20 per liter cheaper than normal fuel.
The government introduced E85, a high-ethanol blend fuel designed for flex-fuel vehicles, at a discount of Rs 20 per liter compared to normal petrol. This fuel will initially be available at select petrol pumps and can be used only in vehicles equipped with flex-fuel engines. Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri unveiled E85 fuel at an Indian Oil petrol pump here on the occasion of World Environment Day. This fuel will be sold at 48 public sector petrol pumps across the country. He said the government plans to expand its availability to 500 petrol pumps by December 2026 and to about 5,000 petrol pumps by December 2027.
how different from petrol
E85 fuel contains 80-85 percent ethanol and 14-19 percent petrol. However, it can only be used in flex-fuel vehicles that are capable of running on various blends of fuel from E20 to E100. It is equipped with an advanced engine control unit (ECU), which can adapt itself according to the different amounts of ethanol in petrol. Puri said the expansion of E85 infrastructure is expected to help increase the overall blending level of ethanol in India by about 26 per cent by 2030-31. He said that the government has fixed the price of E85 at about Rs 20 per liter less than conventional petrol, so that the benefits of domestically produced ethanol can be passed on directly to consumers.
Saving of more than Rs 1.84 lakh crore
The minister said that India has increased the rate of ethanol blending in petrol from 1.53 percent in 2014 to 20 percent now and has achieved its target five years ahead of schedule. He said that this program has resulted in saving of more than Rs 1.84 lakh crore in foreign exchange and the import of crude oil has reduced by about 302 lakh metric tonnes. According to ministry estimates, flex-fuel vehicles running on E85 can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 61 percent compared to conventional petrol vehicles. Ethanol’s higher octane rating also helps in better engine performance and cleaner combustion, which significantly reduces particulate emissions.
How can there be more savings?
Puri said that if half of all new two-wheelers and passenger vehicles sold in India shift to flex-fuel technology, the annual demand for ethanol could increase by more than 312 crore litres, leading to additional income of about Rs 12,403 crore to farmers. He said that such a change can save foreign exchange of about Rs 15,151 crore annually and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 66.4 lakh metric tonnes. Drawing comparisons with Brazil, where more than 80 percent of light vehicles run on flex-fuel technology, Puri said India is moving beyond pilot projects to a systematic national flex-fuel ecosystem.
This appeal was made to the states
He also tried to allay concerns about ethanol-blended fuel, saying that E85 is specifically for flex-fuel vehicles and since E20 became the national standard fuel, there have been no incidents of engine damage due to ethanol blending. The minister appealed to state governments to support this transition through favorable tax policies for E85 fuel and flex-fuel vehicles. He described ethanol as an important part of India’s energy self-reliance. Puri said that every liter of ethanol replaces imported fossil fuel. “The spirit of self-reliant India is present in every drop of E85.
