Flex-Fuel Vehicles Get 100% Ethanol Emission Norms

India has notified new emission and fuel norms for flex-fuel vehicles that can run on 100 per cent ethanol, marking a significant policy push toward cleaner, ethanol-based mobility. The changes, which took effect from Monday, are part of an amendment to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued the notification. Under the new rules, references to E85 fuel in multiple emission standards and test procedures now read E85 or E100, clearing a path for the use of fully ethanol-based fuel.

The government has stressed that such fuels can be used only in flex-fuel vehicles that Original Equipment Manufacturers are specifically designed to run on E85 or E100. Other vehicles are not permitted to use these fuels under the notified framework.

Beyond ethanol, the amendments revise several other categories. The gross vehicle weight limit in one emission table has been raised from 3,000 kilograms to 3,500 kilograms. Changes have also been introduced for HCNG, E20 petrol, biodiesel standards and certain technical aspects of emission testing.

Earlier this year, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister, said that fuel costs for vehicles running entirely on ethanol could be close to Rs 25 per litre of petrol. He added that ethanol is in use across 19 countries and that no significant vehicle complaints have emerged in India.

A report by a credit rating agency has also forecast that ethanol demand could climb to 17.9 billion litres by fiscal 2030-31 if the E25 target is achieved. The existing 18.25 billion litre distillation capacity would be enough to meet that demand. Even at E20, demand is expected to reach about 14.3 billion litres, roughly 78 per cent of present capacity.