The minister said he has been informed by the petroleum ministry officials that ethanol pumps will soon be started in every district of the country
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said the government is committed to delivering vehicles with flex engines that give the users an option to run a vehicle on either 100 per cent petrol or 100 per cent bio-ethanol.
The minister said he is looking forward to the industry for the quick roll-out of E20-compatible vehicles. E20 is a blend of 20 per cent ethanol and 80 per cent petrol.
Gadkari also said flex engine-based vehicles are already running in the US, Brazil and Canada, and a few of these brands are successfully operating in India also.
“The technology is readily available, and it is just a matter of time to take that leap which will transform the transport landscape of India forever,” Gadkari noted.
He was addressing industry body SIAM’s annual convention virtually. He asked vehicle manufacturers to discourage the production and sale of diesel engine vehicles and urged them to promote other technologies.
“I appeal the vehicle manufacturers to discourage the production and sale of diesel engine vehicles. Diesel-based pollution is extremely hazardous to the environment and human health. “The industry must promote alternative fuel technologies and fund R&D (research and development) for alternative fuels,” he said.
“This will be immensely helpful in cutting our import bill and giving a direct benefit to our farmers, without a compromise on the environment,” he said.
The minister said the petroleum ministry officials have informed him that ethanol pumps will soon be started in every district of the country.
He said the government had released the report of the Expert Committee on Roadmap for Ethanol Blending in India by 2025, which discusses the gradual roll-out of 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol (E20) by 2025.
He stressed that the focus has been on making Indian vehicles at par with international standards regarding crash safety, body designs, and corporate average fuel efficiency (CAFÉ) Norms
The minister also emphasised that the industry must also take upon itself a social responsibility to ensure that some optional features like retro-reflective tapes, hand-rails, automatic helmet sensing-cum-reminder system and stand detection systems, are installed across all segments of vehicles for vehicular and rider safety.
He said his ministry is also exploring prospects of hydrogen fuel cells vehicles (HFCVs).
He stressed that the focus has been on making Indian vehicles at par with international standards regarding crash safety, body designs, and corporate average fuel efficiency (CAFÉ) Norms.
He noted that there is also a need to improve bus body quality for the safety and comfort of passengers.
The provision of high-tech and AC cabins in trucks and long-run buses will improve the ease of driving and avoid driver fatigue, which is a major reason for accidents in heavy-duty vehicles that operate on long routes. Gadkari said that the global trust in Indian vehicles has increased, “Our exports have risen to the international market.”
He also said there is a need to develop low-cost indigenous battery technologies for electric vehicles (EVs).
“Development of charging infrastructure is very important for EV adoption,” he said adding that the government is strongly encouraging renewable energy-based charging mechanism for such vehicles.
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