- Union Minister Nitin Gadkari unveiled the world’s first car that runs entirely on ethanol in New Delhi, marking a historic moment for India’s energy landscape.
- The car is the first Stage-II BS-VI electrified flex-fuel vehicle, which runs entirely on ethanol as a fuel source.
- Currently, India’s oil import bill stands at Rs 16 lakh crore, which highlights the need to curb this expenditure.
- Addressing environmental concerns, Minister Gadkari underlined the need for sustainable solutions, stressing that 40 percent of pollution is generated from the transport sector.
Significant Benefits of Ethanol Blending
- Financial savings: Estimated annual savings of Rs 35 thousand crore in import cost through the implementation of 20 percent ethanol blending.
- Exceeding targets: India achieved 10 percent ethanol blending ahead of its 2022 target, leading to a revised target of 20 percent ethanol blending by 2026, five years ahead of the original target of 2030.
- Accelerated timeline: To further promote ethanol blending, the government has accelerated its timeline and increased the target of achieving 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol from 2030 to 2025.
- Nationwide Availability: There is a plan to make 20 percent ethanol blended petrol (E20) widely accessible across India by 2025.