It has been introduced as India’s first car with a flex-fuel engine. This model is Toyota Motor’s Corolla Altis sedan with a hybrid powertrain. Notably, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari launched Toyota’s first-of-its-kind pilot project on a Flex Fuel-Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicle (FFV-SHEV) that can run on 100% ethanol. This is the second time the federal government has chosen a Japanese auto company to be part of an alternative fuel trial.
Instead of running on just one type of fuel, a flex-fuel vehicle can run on a mixture of gasoline and up to 83 percent ethanol. Apart from Toyota Motor, two wheeler manufacturers like TVS, Bajaj and Hero MotoCorp are ready with ethanol ready vehicles. At the event attended by the Union Minister, Toyota used Toyota Corolla Altis FFV-SHEV imported from Brazil for its pilot project.
This pilot project aims to verify the viability of hybrid vehicles in India. The scheme enables the use of ethanol in flex-fuel vehicles that run on ethanol to reduce pollution, as well as electric-hybrid vehicles to reduce dependence on petrol and diesel. Toyota has taken this initiative at a time when the central government is keen to use alternative fuels for vehicles to reduce oil imports due to rising pollution and prices.
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Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that environmental pollution is a major concern in the country and especially the transport sector has a major role in pollution. Therefore, there is a need to encourage the use of electric vehicles, vehicles that run on biofuels such as ethanol and methanol, he said. Flex Fuel-Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technology has been introduced in Brazil by Toyota Brazil. The FFV SHEV features a flex-fuel engine and an electric powertrain, which Toyota says offers the twin benefits of higher ethanol consumption and higher fuel efficiency.
Launching Toyota’s first of its kind pilot project on Flexi-Fuel Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicles (FFV-SHEV) in India https://t.co/kFVuSLy0QE
— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) October 11, 2022
Meanwhile, the Brazilian-imported flex-fuel sedan used in the show is powered by a 1.8-litre ethanol-ready petrol hybrid engine. It runs on ethanol content fuel ranging from 20-100% while producing nearly 101bhp of power and 142Nm of torque. Its petrol engine is mated to a 1.3 kWh battery that churns out 72 bhp of power and 163 Nm of torque. This powertrain combination is mated to a CVT gearbox. Flex-fuel compatible cars can run on more than one fuel type and combination. Generally, a mixture of gasoline and ethanol or methanol is used. Ethanol is a major alternative fuel used worldwide and Brazil has the highest average composition of 48%.
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