Flex fuel vehicles must comply with BS-6 norms, govt advisory to car automobile manufacturers | India News – Times of India

GHAZIABAD/NEW DELHI: Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said his ministry has issued an advisory to automobile manufacturers to start producing flex-fuel vehicles in the next six months. The transport ministry has also urged the manufacturers to produce the Flex Fuel Strong Hybrid vehicles and both types of vehicles must comply with the BS-6 emission norms.
“Yesterday, I signed an advisory on flex-fuel engines urging the carmakers to manufacture flex-fuel engines. We have asked them to start this production in the next six months so that vehicles can run on more than one fuel. The new vehicles will have the option to run on 100% ethanol, which is produced by our farmers,” he said at an event in Ghaziabad.
Last week Gadkari had told TOI that his ministry would issue the advisory. “There is no need to make it mandatory as three major players – Toyota, Suzuki and Hyundai – have agreed to manufacture them,” he had said. Gadkari has been vocal about increasing the use of ethanol as fuel for vehicles in India to reduce dependence on imported crude.
Sources said while the ministry expects the automobile manufacturers to roll out flex-fuel engines in the next six months, it may actually take around a year to see such manufacturing in India, particularly for cars and other four-wheelers. However, there is a high possibility of two-wheeler manufacturers rolling out flex-fuel engines and a couple of major players in this segment have made a commitment to the minister.
The transport ministry has notified the emission standards for vehicles that can run on 100% ethanol and thereby created the legal framework for encouraging manufacturers to produce such engines.
Industry insiders said the success of the rollout of flex-fuel engines will largely depend on the availability of ethanol as a fuel across the country.