New Delhi: Toyota will introduce the first flex-fuel car in India on September 28. The car to be unveiled at the event will be the Toyota Corolla hybrid, which is currently on sale in markets such as Brazil, where the model is tuned for use. with fuel containing ethanol. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari will unveil the car at an event in Delhi.
Hybrid flex-fuel Toyota Corolla: What is it?
The minister himself announced at the 62nd annual meeting of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA) earlier this month that he will introduce the first flex-fuel car in India in September. Although he said it will be a Camry with flex-fuel technology, we can confirm that it will be a Corolla hybrid.
Sources tell us that the model shown here will be the latest generation of the Corolla sedan. The car is powered by a 2.0-liter Toyota petrol engine capable of running on E85 ethanol, along with powerful hybrid technology.
Hybrid flex-fuel Toyota Corolla: Will it be the first such car in India?
Not really; the model that will be introduced in India will be the one sold in Brazil, which means it will be a left-hand drive Corolla. It will be used as a technology demonstrator for Toyota in India, similar to the hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai that was introduced here back in March.
Flex-fuel technology: Brazil to work with India
At the SIAM convention, following Gadkari’s call to automakers to develop flex-fuel vehicles, Brazil’s ambassador to India Andre Aranha Correa Do Lago said his country would work with India on flex-fuel technology and other fuels such as sustainable aviation. fuel and flex-fuel hybrid vehicles.
The Brazilian ambassador’s statement is significant given that the South American nation is a flex-fuel leader, having already mandated ethanol-laced fuel in the late 1970s. The country is also the second largest producer of ethanol in the world, with the US being the largest. So Brazil’s expertise would go a long way in advancing India’s ethanol fuel plans.
Flex-Fuel vehicles
A flex-fuel engine is an internal combustion engine that can run on more than one type of fuel as well as a mixture. A mixture of gasoline and ethanol or methanol is usually used, and the engine is capable of automatically adjusting any ratio through modifications such as a fuel composition sensor and appropriate ECU programming. Flex-fuel engines are capable of running on 100% gasoline or ethanol and are already available in countries such as Brazil, the US and Canada.
India already has ethanol-laced petrol with a doping level of around 10 per cent, and last year the government pushed back its target of producing petrol with 20 per cent ethanol (E20) by two years – from 2025 to 2023.
The transport minister is also keen on selling flex-fuel vehicles in India soon. While today’s gasoline vehicles can handle a blend of up to 15 percent ethanol, flex-fuel vehicles can handle a varied and higher blend, typically up to 85 percent. And here too, Brazil has a well-developed market for flex-fuel vehicles, with manufacturers such as Toyota and Fiat selling several models.
Why ethanol?
According to various government statistics, India is a country with a surplus of both sugar and corn, both of which can be used to produce ethanol, which is why Gadkari has long been pushing for ethanol fuel. A Brazilian official also echoed the sentiment, saying, “Brazil and India are the two largest producers of sugarcane and have the potential to produce huge amounts of ethanol.
So the experience of Brazil is something that India can take advantage of and also avoid the pitfalls that have emerged globally, such as the diversion of food-producing farmland to fuel-producing crops.
