The Indian government has notified changes to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules to accommodate E100 fuel, clarifying that 100 per cent ethanol will be strictly designated for certified flex-fuel vehicles rather than regular automobiles. This regulatory shift supports the country's push toward sustainable energy, aiming to reduce carbon footprints and decrease reliance on crude oil imports as major automakers introduce compatible flex-fuel models.

The Indian government has notified changes to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules to accommodate E100 fuel, clarifying that 100 per cent ethanol will be strictly designated for certified flex-fuel vehicles rather than regular automobiles. This regulatory shift supports the country's push toward sustainable energy, aiming to reduce carbon footprints and decrease reliance on crude oil imports as major automakers introduce compatible flex-fuel models.

The Indian government has notified changes to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules to accommodate E100 fuel, clarifying that 100 per cent ethanol will be strictly designated for certified flex-fuel vehicles rather than regular automobiles. This regulatory shift supports the country's push toward sustainable energy, aiming to reduce carbon footprints and decrease reliance on crude oil imports as major automakers introduce compatible flex-fuel models.

The Centre on Monday notified a change in the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, which has sparked a conversation around the use of E100, that is not a blend of ethanol and petrol like E20 or E85, but fuel made from 100 per cent ethanol—or in some cases, near-100 per cent, as trace amounts of water are said to help combustion.

Though the Centre has now given the green light for E100 fuel to come to petrol pumps, it will not be made the main option for regular vehicles, as in the case of E20 (20 per cent ethanol and 80 per cent petrol).

In fact, a senior official from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) told PTI that fuel beyond E20 and up to E100 is intended only for vehicles designed and certified to use it—called flex-fuel vehicles—and will not be applicable to regular ones.

Maruti Suzuki India launched India's first flex-fuel passenger vehicle in June this year—the WagonR Flex Fuel—with other automakers such as Toyota Motor Corporation, Tata Motors, and Hyundai Motor Company to follow suit.

Flex-fuel vehicles are designed to run on any blend of ethanol and petrol—from pure petrol (E0) to ones with very high concentrations of ethanol in them, such as E85 (85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent petrol) and E100, unlike conventional petrol vehicles currently approved for lower ethanol concentrations.

This is because its engine parameters can be adjusted based on the fuel put in.

Officials have also said that ethanol has a lower carbon footprint than conventional petrol, and that the use of higher ethanol blends also meant lesser emissions from carbon monoxide and certain hydrocarbons.

Using more ethanol is also expected to reduce the country's dependence on crude oil imports, at a time when energy flows remain impacted due to geopolitical issues.

Officially notified on October 26, the changes to the Central Motor Vehicle Rules came after the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) reviewed public objections and suggestions to its ethanol programme.

The changes also include technical references used in emission-related tables and testing provisions, while the weight limit for light petrol and diesel vehicles affected by these changes has also been increased from 3,000kg to 3,500kg.

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