Nitin Gadkari Launches India's First, Flex Fuel Hybrid Car Manufactured by Toyota

Flex fuel vehicles have the potential to run on flexible fuels-petrol, ethanol or blend of petrol and ethanol.

Toyota has finally launched the much-awaited Corolla Altis Hybrid, India's first Ethanol-ready flex fuel hybrid car. The above vehicle was unveiled by Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways.

Flex Fuel vehicles have potential to run on flexible fuels-petrol, ethanol or a blend of petrol and ethanol. Such vehicles provide the flexibility to switch to engine fuel from petrol to ethanol. They can also power the engine from the battery and thus help reduce the carbon emission from it. Ethanol is much cheaper when compared to petrol, thus offering scope for flex fuel car owners to use the fuel to save their fuel bills. This move would also our nation, India to reduce its dependency on fuel imports.

The Indian government has begun production of flex fuels in our nation. These are classified as E95, E90 and E85 depending on the petrol-ethanol ratio.

Toyota Corolla Altis Hybrid is first of its kind pilot project vehicle which is based on flexi-fuel strong Hybrid Electric Vehicles (FFV-SHEV) technology. It is powered by a 1.8 litre ethanol ready petrol hybrid engine. The initiative would power our nation aim to be one among the top global producers in every segment of the vehicles over the next 25 years, as stated by the society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) President Kenichi Ayukawa.