Flex-fuel engines to be made mandatory in coming days, says Gadkari

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday stressed on the use of ethanol in vehicles as a cost effective and pollution-free substitute to other fuels, and said flex-fuel engines will be made mandatory in the coming days.

The flex-fuel, or flexible fuel, is an alternative fuel made with a combination gasoline, methanol or ethanol.

Speaking at an event of the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank here, Gadkari mentioned a Russian technology through which the calorific value of petrol and ethanol can be equalised.

If this happens, all petrol pumps can be replaced with ethanol pumps, the road transport and highways minister said, referring to western Maharashtra which is a major sugarcane belt.