Big Shift in Fuel Policy: Government Proposes New Norms for E85, E100 Fuels in Vehicles

New Delhi: The government is preparing to take another big step towards promoting ethanol as an alternative to petrol. The Road Transport Ministry has issued a draft of such rules, the implementation of which may pave the way for the use of high-ethanol-blended fuel in vehicles. At present suggestions have been sought on this.

What does the government want to change?

The matter is directly related to the mixture of fuel. Till now the talk was about E20, but now there are preparations to include options like E85 and E100 in the rules. This means that in the coming time, vehicles can also run on such fuel, which will have a high amount of ethanol.

Will it be limited to papers only?

The intention of the government is clear, but the path does not appear easy. Even after the rules are implemented, the real challenge will be how quickly auto companies can produce engines that can handle more ethanol. Many vehicles are not completely comfortable with E20 right now.

Where are the auto companies concerned?

The industry says that more ethanol means changes in the engine. Many things may have to be changed, from fuel system to material. This may also increase costs and companies may have to introduce new models.

What effect can it have on old vehicles?

This is the biggest question. Experts believe that older engines will not be able to function properly for a long time with excess ethanol. This may reduce performance and increase maintenance costs. This means that not every vehicle is ready for this change.

Why is the government showing so much speed in this direction?

The reason for this is to reduce dependence on imports. Ethanol is being seen as an alternative to reduce expenditure on crude oil. Besides, it is also expected to benefit the farmers as ethanol is produced from sugarcane and grains.

What will this change for the common man?

If this plan goes ahead, changes may be seen in both fuels and vehicles in the coming years. The number of flex-fuel vehicles will increase and petrol as well as ethanol based options may become common in the market. However, this change will not be visible immediately but gradually.