The world is in the middle of a deepening energy crisis making energy transitioning the most urgent undertaking globally. India has been working towards developing green solutions and alternatives as striking a low-carbon economy has become critical for the country. Though India has been rolling out initiatives in almost all other alternative energy technologies, reducing vehicular emissions has become one of the most urgent targets for the country in recent times. The focus has thus been shifted to the endorsement of hydrogen and electric vehicles.
On October 11, Union Minister Union minister Nitin Gadkari launched Toyota’s first-of-its-kind pilot project on flex fuel-strong hybrid electric vehicle (FFV-SHEV). The new vehicle can run on 100 per cent ethanol.
An FFV-SHEV possesses a flex-fuel engine and an electric powertrain. This setup extends dual advantages of higher ethanol use and greater fuel efficiency, as it can run on its EV mode for a good amount of time, while the engine stands shut off.
Ethanol Revolution and EVs
Ethanol – perhaps the most ubiquitous of the alternative biofuels, locally produced substance, has made its way into people’s gas tanks. It is environmentally friendly that aligns with stricter emission norms. Pat few years have seen central and state governments coming together to promote the use of ethanol as a flex-fuel. Union Minister Gadkari, in one of this addresses, had highlighted that reducing the production of sugar and increasing the production of ethanol is good for future.
What are Flex-Fuels
Flex-fuel or Flexible fuel has been gaining traction on the heels of being alternative, environment-friendly fuels that can help combat both rising fuel prices & pollution levels. These are seen as an alternative fuel which are a combination of regular gasoline and methanol/ethanol. Unlike CNG fuel systems which store petrol and CNG in separate tanks and are used separately by the engine, the flex-fuel combination is stored in the same tank of fuel and is used by the engine as a blended fuel.
Ethanol as a Flex-Fuel
In flex fuels, the ratio of ethanol to petrol can be adjusted but the most commonly used flex-fuels use 85% ethanol and 15% petrol. Unlike petrol, ethanol is not a byproduct of crude oil. Instead, it is a complex derivative of biomass left by agricultural feedstocks such as corn, sugarcane, hemp (bhang), potato, rice etc. Ethanol is extracted from sugarcane juice; from molasses – the black viscous product derived from refining sugarcane. These agricultural products are found in abundance and hence, the government has made a concerted effort to promote ethanol as an alternative fuel option. This was also reflected in the unveiling of the ambitious National Policy on Biofuels (2018).
What makes Flex-Fuels more environment friendly
Ethanol has the quality to burn cleaner than gasoline, which simply makes flex-fuel vehicles leave fewer toxic fumes into the environment. Advanced technology is used to make flex fuel engines which also involves use of electronic sensors. Such advances make enable the vehicle to detect the fuel blend, make any necessary adjustments, etc.
Usage of ethanol, which is sustainably produced, is what makes flex-fuels a green choice. By means of ethanol, India is in a quest to reduce its dependency on imported crude oil as well as to curb carbon footprints, as ethanol has the tendency to reduce carbon monoxide pollution by 35%. Unlike petrol, ethanol is not a byproduct of crude oil.