Nitin Gadkari launches first 100% ethanol-powered car

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari unveiled the prototype of the world’s first Bharat Stage (BS)-VI-compliant electrified flex-fuel car, developed by Toyota Kirloskar Motor.

The car, which runs on 100 per cent ethanol (E100), is based on the Toyota Innova HyCross. It can cover 40 per cent of its distance on ethanol and the remaining 60 per cent on electric, with the petrol engine shut off.

Increased demand for ethanol for blending with petrol and diesel will transform India’s agricultural economy, making farmers ‘urja daata’ (energy provider),” Gadkari said during the prototype launch.

While flex-fuel vehicles have been introduced internationally before, and Toyota launched a flex-fuel version of its Corolla last year, this is the first flex-fuel vehicle compliant with India’s BS-VI emission standards, according to the company.

In contrast to the higher contributions of the manufacturing and services sectors, agriculture and allied industries contribute only 12 per cent to India’s gross domestic product (GDP), despite 65 per cent of the population depending on agriculture, said Gadkari.

The ethanol industry is a boon for farmers, with the demand for ethanol set to increase, reshaping India’s agricultural economy.