Flex-Fuel Vehicles

Flex-Fuel Vehicles

Subject – Economy

Context – Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has called on carmakers to start manufacturing flex-fuel vehicles and flex-fuel hybrids in India, while saying the same will be commute-ready within six months.

Concept –

• Flex fuel vehicles (FFV) are capable of running on 100 per cent petrol or 100 per cent bioethanol or a combination of both.
• Bio-ethanol contains less energy per litre than petrol but the calorific value (energy contained in the fuel) of bio-ethanol will become on par with petrol with use of advanced technology.
• The government has also advised carmakers to start making Flex Fuel Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicles (FFSHEV).
• Such a vehicle, though yet to be made widely available in world markets, essentially houses an electric motor which powers the vehicle alongside the traditional petrol engine.

What way are they different from existing vehicles?

• Since an FFV is capable of running on either petrol or ethanol, it will be the first of its kind 100 per cent dual fuel vehicle to run on Indian roads.
• To be sure, a litre of petrol sold in India has an average of 8 per cent ethanol content even though oil marketing companies have clearance to do even 10 per cent (E10) blending.
  • All vehicles manufactured in India are tuned for E10.
  • All existing vehicles on Indian roads will not be able to run on higher ethanol content beyond 10 per cent.

To what extent will FFVs help in cutting emission?

• According to a report by the expert committee formed by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, by just hitting E20, carbon monoxide emissions were observed to be 50 per cent lower in two-wheelers and 30 per cent lower in four-wheelers compared to petrol.
  • Hydrocarbons were lower by 20 per cent.
  • The report also mentioned that E20 blending will result in drop in fuel efficiency by nearly 6-7 per cent in four-wheelers designed for E0 and calibrated to E10.

What has been the auto industry’s reaction to government’s policy?

• Higher blending of ethanol will mean higher manufacturing costs which translates to pricier vehicles. Certain auto parts, especially those that come in contact with higher ethanol content, will have to be replaced with a compatible product to avoid corrosion.