NEW DELHI: Amid energy supply chain disruptions due to the West Asia conflict, govt will soon issue a fresh notification laying down test requirements for vehicles compliant for E85 to E100 fuel, or Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFVs), a move that will allow OEMs — original equipment manufacturers — to produce automobiles that can run on 100% ethanol (E100). Govt on Wednesday also signalled increasing the blending of ethanol in petrol to reduce dependence on crude oil.Responding to a question on increasing ethanol blending at an inter-ministerial briefing on the West Asia crisis, Sujata Sharma, a joint secretary in the petroleum ministry, said, “The question is whether we are going to increase the base fuel. I must say that it is an idea whose time has arrived.” Last week, power ministry officials at a meeting on fuel efficiency had sent a similar hint to automobile industries of increasing ethanol blending beyond the current 20%.In response to a question of roll out of FFVs, Sharma said, “On one side, automobile companies have to keep the vehicles ready. At the same time, our oil marketing companies also have to be ready to supply that kind of fuel. So, that exercise is going on. It’s more of a stakeholder consultation and bringing different stakeholders on a common platform.”On Tuesday, road transport minister Nitin Gadkari, while speaking at an event, had said that the West Asia conflict has done “half the job” in convincing policymakers and people about moving towards alternatives to petrol and diesel as the crisis stifles flow of energy — crude and gas — from the region.Government’s push for ethanol blended petrol (EBP) programme has helped India save around 4.5 crore barrels of crude annually and the savings so far in terms of foreign exchange work out to around Rs 1.65 lakh crore.To enable automobile majors to produce vehicles that can run on higher blends of ethanol, the road transport ministry, in Dec 2022, had notified the applicability of test requirements for vehicles running on E5 to E85 fuels. A draft notification issued in June 2025 proposed replacing the E85 condition with “E85 or more”, but it was not finalised.With renewed focus due to the West Asia crisis, a revised draft notification is expected soon. Engines designed for E100 can also operate on lower ethanol blends, from E20 upwards. Though most vehicle manufacturers have developed FFV prototypes, commercial production has yet to begin.
