FROM PETROL TO PURE ETHANOL: Maruti Suzuki launches India’s first flex-fuel vehicle

Maruti Suzuki has introduced India’s first flex-fuel passenger vehicle, the WagonR flex-fuel, capable of running on ethanol blends of up to 100 per cent. The launch marks a significant step in India’s transition toward cleaner and alternative fuels amid ongoing global crude oil volatility.

The WagonR flex-fuel model is engineered to operate on a wide range of ethanol-petrol blends, from E20 to E100, making it the first mass-market car in the country designed for complete ethanol usage. The company said the initiative aligns with the government’s broader strategy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and promote biofuels in the transport sector.

The vehicle was unveiled in the presence of Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, both strong advocates of alternative fuels and domestic energy solutions.

Speaking at the event, Gadkari highlighted the government’s plans to further diversify fuel options, including the introduction of diesel blended with 15 per cent isobutanol. He also urged automobile manufacturers such as Maruti Suzuki and Hero MotoCorp to work on retrofitting older vehicles to make them compatible with flex-fuel technology, while ensuring compliance with stricter emission standards like Euro 6 norms.

Gadkari added that such measures would help reduce air pollution and support the vehicle scrappage policy aimed at phasing out older, high-emission vehicles. He also described the automobile sector as a key driver of economic growth, noting that India now has the world’s third-largest automobile industry with a substantial contribution to GDP.

Maruti Suzuki’s Managing Director and CEO, Hisashi Takeuchi, said the company is also investing in compressed biogas (CBG) projects and exploring other clean energy solutions, including hydrogen fuel.

Sharing the company’s broader clean mobility roadmap, Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer for Marketing and Sales, stated that nearly half of all green vehicles sold in the last financial year were contributed by Maruti Suzuki, underscoring its leading position in the segment.