New Delhi, 29 August: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday launched the world’s first 100 per cent ethanol-fuelled car here.
This is the world’s first prototype of BS-VI (Stage-II) “Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicle” developed by Toyota Kirloskar Motor.
Speaking on the occasion, Gadkari said that today is a historic day for the country to launch the world’s first BS-VI (Stage-II), electrified flex-fuel vehicle. He said that for India to become a self-reliant country, oil imports need to be brought down to zero.
Ethanol, an indigenous, eco-friendly and renewable fuel, holds promising potential for India. He said that the Modi government’s thrust on ethanol is in line with the objectives of achieving energy self-sufficiency, doubling farmers’ income, converting them into energy providers while continuing to support them as food providers, and making a positive impact on the environment.
He said that the day the ethanol economy becomes Rs 2 lakh crore, the agriculture growth rate will increase to 20 per cent from the present 12 per cent.
Talking about innovations in biofuels, Gadkari talked about Indian Oil Corporation’s refinery at Numaligarh in Assam, where bamboo is being used to manufacture bio-ethanol.
Gadkari said this innovative vehicle is based on the Innova Hycross and has been engineered to comply with India’s strictest emission norms, marking it as the first BS6 (Stage II) electrified flex fuel vehicle prototype globally. does. He added that the upcoming phases of this prototype include careful refinement, homologation and certification processes.
Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and Mahendra Nath Pandey, Masakazu Yoshimura, MD & CEO of Toyota, Geetanjali Kirloskar, MD & CEO of Kirloskar Systems Limited, etc. attended the event.
