Vehicles in India may soon be powered by flex-engines

Flexible-fuel vehicles or flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) these are vehicles running on alternative fuel, equipped with an internal combustion engine that is designed to run on more than one fuel.
Most of these FFVs in Western countries run on E85, a blend of 85 per cent anhydrous ethanol and 15 per cent gasoline.
Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Friday said that he will be issuing an order in the next three to four months, mandating all auto manufacturers to power their vehicles with flex engines, which can run on more than one fuel. The statement comes about a month after Gadkari said that the central government will soon make it mandatory for auto manufacturers to offer vehicles running 100 per cent on bio-fuels.

Nitin Gadkari has been advocating for the use of alternative energy sources and bio-fuels to bring down the environmental impact left behind by the Indian auto industry. Not only is alternative fuel less polluting and saves forex, but it is also cost-effective for customers, the minister said. Pointing out that a litre of bioethanol costs ₹65 as against ₹110 paid for petrol, Gadkari said last month, “We are committed to delivering vehicles with flex engine norms. We have taken a decision, we will make it mandatory by which there will be a flex-engine.” He added that state-run oil marketing companies have already been ordered to offer bio-fuels at the same facilities as the ones selling petrol and diesel