NEWS: The Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas inaugurated the E85 fuel rollout in New Delhi on World Environment Day
CONTEXT
- A step forward in India’s flex-fuel transition.
- Brazil ModelàIndia’s flex-fuel push draws from Brazil, where around 80% of light vehicles use flex-fuel technology based on high ethanol blends.
E85 Composition
- Contains 80–85% ethanol and 14–19% petrol
- Designed exclusively for flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) capable of operating on blends ranging from E20 to E100.
- E85 will be dispensed only for E85-compliant vehicles, of which only three models are currently available in India.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- E85à Launched across 48 Public Sector OMC retail outletsà plans to expand to 500 outlets by December 2026 and 5,000 outlets by December 2027.
- E85à Priced nearly ₹20 per litre lower than conventional petrol= Ensuring that the economic benefits of domestically produced ethanol are passed to consumers.
- FFVs running on E85 can reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by around 61% and produce near-zero particulate matter emissions.
- With a Research Octane Number (RON) of ~108, E85 allows engines to operate at higher compression ratios and optimised ignition timing.
- The government is promoting supportive state-level taxation policies for E85 and FFVs as part of a structured flex-fuel ecosystem, with E85 positioned as a key tool to achieve nearly 26% overall ethanol blending by 2030-31.
- E85à Can reduce crude oil import dependence, improve energy security, support farmers’ income and promote cleaner mobility