Leading automakers want to introduce 100% ethanol vehicles: Gadkari

According to Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport and Highways, major automobile manufacturers like Mahindra, Toyota, Hyundai, and Tata will produce 100% ethanol-powered vehicles within the next five months, with two-wheeler manufacturers also adopting the technology.

Advancements in ethanol-based aviation fuel were a big step toward sustainable transportation, he stated while speaking digitally at the special event ‘Amrutyog,’ which was organized to commemorate Praj Industries founder and chairman Pramod Chaudhari’s 75th birthday.

Gadkari also revealed that the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) is considering a proposal to combine 15% ethanol with diesel, hence broadening biofuel possibilities.

He emphasized that biofuel development has the ability to revolutionize rural India by establishing networks of smart villages, reducing rural-to-urban migration, and contributing to the idea of a ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-sufficient India). This project supports India’s objective of becoming the world’s third-largest economy.

According to Gadkari, increasing ethanol production could improve the agricultural sector’s GDP contribution from 14 percent to 18-20 percent, considerably benefiting farmers and rural areas. He also emphasized the significance of balancing economic growth and environmental sustainability, noting that cars generate 40% of air pollution.