Govt proposes emission rule changes to boost ethanol blends, flex-fuel vehicles

The Union ministry of road transport and highways proposed amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, notified on April 27, widening the scope for higher ethanol blends and alternative fuels. The changes cover E85 (85% ethanol), E100 (near-pure ethanol), B100 biodiesel, and hydrogen-CNG blends; They would enable flex-fuel and pure biofuel vehicles across all vehicle categories, including two-wheelers, three-wheelers, passenger cars and heavy vehicles. The draft also raises the vehicle weight limit from 3,000 kg to 3,500 kg, aligning with global standards for light commercial vehicles. The notification updates fuel definitions, replacing references to “Hydrogen+CN” with “Hydrogen+CNG”; it corrects the emission intensity unit from “Mg/kWh” to “mg/kWh” and rectifies the World-Harmonised Not-to-Exceed (WNTE) emission limit from 60 to 600. The proposals are open for a 30-day public consultation, after which the government will take a final decision.

Hindustan Times reported that the plans would effectively give consumers the option to buy flex-fuel vehicles capable of running on higher ethanol blends, while conventional petrol and diesel cars would retain the option of lower-concentration fuels such as E20.