The Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2024 just ended, and what we saw was some great displays of companies’ current and future plans. A lot of concepts, unveils, and even a few launches, too. But, while all this was happening, there was one adaption made by almost every Automaker in the pavilions. The Flex Fuel technology. This adaptation was made by a lot of car makers like Toyota, Maruti Suzuki, etc. A term heard maybe a few months ago, why is this fuel type getting so much popularity? And will this fuel replace Petrol? Let us get into this topic of What is Flex Fuel, and why it is getting so popular in the Auto Industry. 

What is Flex Fuel?

This technology was developed in the 90s in the United States, in fact, Toyota was the first car brand to ever use this technology in their cars back then. We, as Indians, have been noticing this technology now, as we are in search of a better oil to replace the heavy use of Petrol in the transportation sector. 

Flex fuel is an alternative to Petrol. It is not the type of fuel that is totally different from Petrol. But, it is just a byproduct of it. 

Basically, in the farming process, there happens to be a lot of biomass left. This biomass can have a byproduct, which is ethanol. Usually, ethanol is made by fermenting all the biomass of Rice, Corn, Sugarcane, etc.

Then, the produced ethanol is further mixed with Petrol. This mixture is categorized in a lot of ways, like E10, E20, E80, E85, etc. In these terms, the letter ‘E’ refers to Ethanol, and the number refers to the percentage of amount mixed with Petrol. So, if we take E85 into consideration then, in this, the percentage of Ethanol mixed is 85% by volume, and the rest 15% is Petrol. 

Benefits of using Flex Fuel

As Flex fuel’s main purpose is to make the use of Petrol as minimal as possible, and blending of ethanol more, ultimately, we get a lot of advantages from doing this. 

• As we use Petrol less, it reduces all the hazardous particles emitted by vehicles using E0 (100% Petrol, 0% Ethanol). Lead, Monoxide, Hydrocarbon, etc are emitted through the exhaust pipes of vehicles running totally on Petrol.

• Secondly, the use of Petrol is less in this fuel, and the use of ethanol is more, so it will help bring down the prices of Petrol. As ethanol can be produced in a very cost-effective way, it does not need any sort of expensive technology. Hence, this helps to price the particular fuel cheaper. In fact, the government's claim states that even if we are able to use E60 (40% Petrol, 60% Ethanol) then, we will be able to bring down the fuel prices to as low as ₹15 per liter. 

Disadvantages of using Flex Fuel

Well, the talk should be balanced, right? If we are learning about the good, then we shall get ourselves known to the bad, too. So, Flex Fuel is not really good entirely. It has its own set of cons, maybe not severe, but they are bad, after all. 

• India has recently started all the official work of adapting and using the technology of ethanol or Flex fuel. This tells us that we are still quite far away from what we could call a developed infrastructure for Flex fuel, just like the one for Petrol. 

• As flex fuel needs biomass, there might be a few instances where we could see a jump in the prices of these raw materials. As of now, their demand is not that great which is why we see such affordable prices. But, if the infrastructure is developed, then there are higher chances of the prices getting increased. 

• Flex fuel is made from a kind of waste, isn’t it? So, it attracts waste when in use. Basically, when flex fuel is used in an engine, it attracts waste towards itself. This will help all the unnecessary corrosion of metal components inside the engine. 

• Flex fuel is also quite popular in providing a low mileage compared to other fuel options. Well, the reduction will not be more than 25% of what we usually get using Petrol. 

Current situation of Flex Fuel Technology in India

In India, currently, automobile manufacturers are able to make engines that can use Flex Fuel up to E20. This itself reduces the pollution emitted by motorcycles by up to 50% and in cars by up to 30%. 

As of now, in the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2024, we have seen a lot of cars adapting to this technology. Mostly, Toyota Kirloskar Motors achieved applause from viewers, as it showcased some concrete plans towards flex fuel technology adaption. In fact, the Road Transport Minister, Mr. Nitin Gadkari, even praised the brand for showcasing the Innova Hycross using E20 and even claimed that there will be an Innova made using E100.