New Delhi, Oct. 26: The Centre has amended the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, to allow the use of 100 percent ethanol (E100) fuel in compatible flex-fuel vehicles. The changes, effective from October 26, update fuel-related provisions and vehicle emission standards, according to a notification from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
The amendments expand references to ethanol fuel by replacing several mentions of E85 with “E85 or E100” in emission standards and testing requirements. However, the government has clarified that these fuels can be used only in flex-fuel vehicles specifically designed by original equipment manufacturers.
Centre | E100 Fuel Rules Update Vehicle Standards
The revised rules also change certain vehicle classifications and technical requirements. One emission-related table raises the gross vehicle weight threshold from 3,000 kg to 3,500 kg.
Other amendments update references to hydrogen-compressed natural gas (HCNG), petrol blended with up to 20 percent ethanol (E20), biodiesel standards and technical details in emission-testing tables.
The move comes as India continues to expand ethanol blending in transport fuels. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has previously said that running a vehicle entirely on ethanol could reduce fuel costs to an equivalent of around Rs. 25 per litre.
Meanwhile, a Brickwork Ratings report estimated that India’s ethanol demand could reach 17.9 billion litres by the financial year 2030-31 under an E25 blending scenario.
The report said the country’s existing installed distillation capacity of 18.25 billion litres could meet demand under its base and bear scenarios. Under the base case, capacity utilisation would reach approximately 98 percent.
If ethanol blending remains at E20, demand could reach 14.3 billion litres under the report’s bear scenario, representing around 78 percent utilisation of existing capacity.
Gadkari has also highlighted the use of ethanol in other countries while advocating wider adoption in India. The latest amendments establish provisions for E100 fuel use, but compatibility remains limited to vehicles designed for flex-fuel operation.
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