India adds E100 to rules for certified flex-fuel vehicles

The Road Transport Ministry has amended the Central Motor Vehicles Rules to include E100 fuel in specified emission provisions for flex-fuel vehicles, allowing models designed and certified for high-ethanol use to run on near-pure ethanol. The changes do not permit conventional petrol or E20 vehicles to use E100 or E85. The notification, dated October 23, expands references to E85 in several emission tables to include E100. It also adds an explanatory note stating that E85 or E100 must be used only in vehicles designed by manufacturers as flex-fuel vehicles. A senior ministry official said vehicles must be designed and certified for the relevant fuel; ordinary petrol cars and vehicles calibrated for E20 are not eligible. E20, a blend containing 20% ethanol, is the nationwide base petrol fuel. E85 contains up to 85% ethanol, while E100 is nearly pure ethanol. The regulatory change updates the vehicle-emissions framework, but does not itself establish wider fuel availability or change the nationwide base blending level. In July, the Petroleum Ministry said no decision had been taken to raise that level beyond E20. The notification also raises the gross vehicle-weight threshold...