Guidelines for flex-fuel vehicles likely to be issued by October

Auto companies may soon be asked to manufacture passenger and commercial vehicles, which run on multiple fuel configurations, with the aim of reducing the use of polluting fossil fuels and reducing harmful emissions. The new guidelines for the use of Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) using flex engines are expected to be released by the third quarter of the current year (FY22) which will take into account the stipulated changes in the fuel mix in the engine configuration and other changes required in the vehicles. will specify.

The government is also working on an incentive scheme to promote the manufacture and use of flex engines in vehicles. The details will be specified when the policy in this regard is unveiled.

Petroleum Secretary Tarun Kapoor had earlier told IANS that the use of Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) is being actively looked at by the government to ensure the use of biofuels for running vehicles.

The FFV is a modified version of the vehicle that can run on both gasoline and doped petrol with varying levels of ethanol blends. These are currently being used successfully in Brazil, giving people the option to switch fuels (gasoline and ethanol) based on price and convenience. In fact, most vehicles sold in Brazil are FFVs.

For India, FFVs will present a distinct advantage, as they will allow vehicles to use different blends of ethanol blended petrol available in different parts of the country.

Existing rules allow mixing of ethanol up to 10 per cent in petrol. However, due to short supply and transportation challenges, 10 per cent blended petrol is available only in 15 states, while bio-fuel ranges between 0 and 5 per cent in other states.

The FFV will allow vehicles to use all blends and run on non-mixed fuels.

The launch of the FFV would require adoption of vehicle standards, technologies and retrofitting configuration, which would have to be overseen by the Ministry of Heavy Industries.

The country is rapidly moving towards A-20 or 20 percent ethanol blended petrol fuel which can be implemented nationwide by 2023 by 2025. The urgency of the vehicle policy is taking these goals into account.
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