Nitin Gadkari

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has introduced the Toyota Innova Hycross, which is entirely powered by ethanol. Let us tell you that Toyota Kirloskar Motors built this automobile entirely in India. This is the first-ever electric flex fuel vehicle prototype.

Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, today unveiled the new Toyota Innova Hycross, a prototype of the world's first electrified flex fuel vehicle, at a ceremony in Delhi. Toyota Kirloskar Motors manufactures this automobile entirely in India. Toyota's Innova Highcross, on the other hand, is powered entirely by ethanol. Also, ethanol is a fuel derived from sugarcane and cereals. It is sometimes referred to as "E100"

Features of Toyota Innova Hycross

Toyota's Innova Highcross vehicle runs on 100 percent ethanol.

This vehicle is the prototype for the world's first electric flex fuel vehicle.

This vehicle was developed in accordance with BS6 Stage-2 standards.

This vehicle can comfortably go 15 to 20 km.

It has an old start system fitted, which allows the engine to run smoothly even at temperatures as low as -15 degrees Celsius.

Also to read: Sugarcane growers will make more money if they add more sugar to ethanol.

Details regarding Flex Fuel

One category of technology is flex fuel. This technology makes it easier for cars to run on more than 20 percent ethanol. Additionally, flex fuel is an alternative fuel composed of a blend of ethanol or methanol and petrol (petrol). Please be aware that this technology is not new nor modern. The 1990s saw the initial introduction of this technology. You might be shocked to learn that there were almost 21 million flex-fuel cars on the road worldwide as of 2017.

Ethanol use dramatically lowers pollution

Additionally, ethanol-powered automobiles produce less pollution. One type of green energy is this. As a result, pollution in the environment will be greatly reduced. It releases 20% less carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons than petrol diesel. Thus, it lessens pollutants.

 Also  read: Nitin Gadkari's contemporary technology approach will transform the giver of food into the giver of energy.

How is Ethanol prepared?

We would like to tell you that crops are used to make ethanol. Moreover, crops including sugarcane, maize, and rice are used to prepare it. India produces an adequate amount of these crops. It is also known as alcohol base fuel since sugarcane and maize are used in its production. In addition, the cost of ethanol is significantly less than that of regular fuel.

Ethanol manufacturers have written to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to increase the procurement price of ethanol made from cereals and maize. Ethanol is being prepared especially from damaged grains and maize. In India, ethanol is produced from two sources. One is wheat and the other is rice.

Demand for increase in purchase price of ethanol 

According to ethanol manufacturers, the procurement price of ethanol from cereals (rice) should be Rs 69.54 per litre and that of maize should be Rs 76.80 per litre. This will ensure continuous supply in the ethanol supply year 2023-24 starting from the month of November.

In 2022-23, the procurement price of ethanol made from damaged grains was fixed at Rs 64 per litre and that of maize at Rs 66.07 per litre. The ethanol manufacturers have demanded an increase in the procurement price after the central government did not announce the purchase price of ethanol produced from sugarcane. It is usually announced in early November. On the other hand, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has not maintained the supply of surplus rice.

GEMA demands fixation of feedstock prices 

The Grains Ethanol Manufacturers Association (GEMA) has urged the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and the Petroleum Minister, Shri Hardeep Puri to fix the cost price based on the cost of feedstock (damaged grains and maize) available in the open market in today's time.

How much ethanol has been provided to the oil marketing companies? 

In the ethanol supply year 2023-24, 2.9 billion litres of grain-based ethanol has been made available to OMCs. The share of damaged foodgrains was 54%, FCI subsidised supply was 15% and maize was 31%. Oil Marketing Companies have floated tender for supply of 8.25 billion litres of ethanol to achieve the target of 15% blending ethanol in ethanol supply year 2023-24. Of this, 2.9 billion litres of ethanol is supplied from grain-based sources. The remaining supply is from sugarcane-based molasses.

The manufacturers of grain based ethanol have said that the price of sugarcane based ethanol can be fixed for the entire year. The reason for this is that sugarcane prices remain stable. However, grain-based ethanol prices are determined on a daily basis. Many times due to supply and demand are also determined on the basis of hours.