New Delhi : Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said new vehicles will be introduced that run entirely on ethanol. Speaking at an event in Nagpur on Sunday, the minister recalled that he recently met the chairman of Mercedes Benz company which launched an electric vehicle.”He (the chairman) told me they would make electric vehicles only in future,” Gadkari said. “We are bringing new vehicles that will run entirely on ethanol. Bajaj, TVS and Hero scooters will run 100 per cent on ethanol,” he said. The minister said he would launch Toyota company’s Camry car in August, which will run 100 per cent on ethanol and it will also generate 40 per cent electricity.
“If you compare it with petrol, it will be Rs 15 per litre of petrol because ethanol’s rate is Rs 60, while the rate of petrol is Rs 120 per litre. Plus it would generate 40 per cent electricity. The average would be Rs 15 per litre,” he added.
In February this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi rolled out 20 per cent Ethanol blended Petrol at select petrol pumps in 11 states and Union Territories as part of a programme to increase use of biofuels. PM Modi, after launching 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol, stated that the use of ethanol has been increased in petrol from 1.5 per cent in 2014 to 10 per cent and it is now progressing to 20 per cent. At first, 15 cities in the country will be covered and in the coming two years, 20 per cent ethanol blended petrol pumps will be expanded throughout the country.
The ethanol used for the composition of Flex Fuel is generally obtained from various plants, vegetables, and biological sources. For example, Jatropha oil is one of the most researched sources of biofuel in our country. Alongside, rice, corn, and other oils can also be used to obtain the ethanol of desired calorific value.
Bureau Report
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