Govt eyes flexible-fuel vehicles’ faster rollout

NEW DELHI: The ongoing West Asia struggle and concerns implicit vigor supplies person prompted govt to research faster rollout of flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs), which tin tally connected blended petrol arsenic good arsenic 100% ethanol.

At a gathering called by the petroleum ministry connected Saturday, archetypal instrumentality manufacturers (OEMs) flagged the request to code user concerns, peculiarly regarding the request to little substance costs arsenic conveyance mileage decreases erstwhile utilizing ethanol, for faster adoption.People alert of the developments said since large car and two-wheeler manufacturers person their prototype FFV models ready, present govt needs to make the ecosystem for adoption of these vehicles.

Govt has maintained that 20% ethanol blending successful petrol has helped India prevention imports of astir 4.5 crore barrels (700 crore litres) of crude annually.

Officials and manufacture sources said that FFVs are much viable enactment than expanding ethanol blending successful petrol, arsenic higher blending levels would interaction show of existing vehicles. A idiosyncratic alert of the discussions said, the gathering focused connected enabling conditions for FFVs.

TOI has learnt that the manufacture sought wide roadworthy representation astir the substance stations that would dispense ethanol, compensation for mileage loss, which is astir 27%-30% little than petrol. “Industry made a wide constituent that consumers should not consciousness ‘cheated’ for buying specified vehicles connected relationship of little mileage ,” said a idiosyncratic who attended the meeting. Last year, petroleum curate Hardeep Singh Puri had written to FM Nirmala Sitharaman seeking GST parity of FFVs with EV.

Currently, the GST for FFVs is 28% compared to 5% for EVs.