The first flex-fuel car has been launched in India. The much-awaited car Toyota Corolla Altis hybrid which is based on Flexi fuel strong hybrid electric vehicle (FFV-SHEV) technology was launched by three Union Ministers -Nitin Gadkari, Bhupendra Yadav and Mahendra Nath Pandey in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The flex-fuel car was flagged off by the ministers as an initiative of promoting alternative fuel and reducing dependence on fossil fuel. India got its first flex-fuel car which runs on 100% ethanol. This car has the credibility of starting the engine from the battery and can run on petrol, ethanol, or a combination of both.
In India, ethanol is currently much cheaper than petrol, allowing flex-fuel car owners to use the fuel to save money on their fuel bills. It will also assist India in reducing its reliance on imported fuel. It has the benefit of higher ethanol use and greater fuel efficiency for example when the car engine is shut off it can run on petrol.
In another effort to reduce fossil fuel pollution on roads, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, has earlier launched another Toyota Pilot project called Toyota Mirai, which is India’s first fully hydrogen vehicle. According to sources, the car was imported from Brazil for R&D purposes. Brazil has the most flex-fuel vehicles because it is the largest producer of sugarcane and ethanol. The vehicles will be driven in various parts of the country to assess their performance over the course of a year.
