Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Friday said he would 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 Nitin Gadkari said the Central Government would soon make it mandatory for auto manufacturers to offer vehicles running 100 per cent on bio-fuels.
Also read | Punjab: SAD to gherao CM Charanjit Singh Channi’s residence on Sept 29
Further, Nitin Gadkari said the first order for a flex engine would be issued to BMW, and gradually to all others. He was addressing the gathering during the foundation stone laying ceremony of the flyover from Rajaram Bridge in Pune.
What are flex engines?
Vehicles with flex engines can run on alternative fuel. Flex fuel vehicles are different from bi-fuel vehicles, which use two fuels stored in separate tanks – and as such, might prove to be costlier than its alternative. The ethanol flexible fuel vehicle is the most common form of commercially available flex engine in the global market.
Also read | Air Canada resumes Toronto-Delhi flight operations after four-month hiatus
How India will benefit?
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari says customers will be provided a choice between using conventional petrol-powered engines and those running on bioethanol. He said a switch to the alternative is essential for the country because of the surplus production of crops like rice, maize, corn, and sugar, from which bioethanol is made. Earlier this month, Nitin Gadkari had said the Central Government was mulling over the concept of an "electric highway", to be built between Delhi and Jaipur in Rajasthan.
-PTC News with inputs from agencies
