India needs to promote flex-fuel vehicles to deal with fluctuations in crude oil prices: Gadkari

New Delhi: Addressing an event organised by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Union Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that the country needs to promote vehicles running on more than one fuel (flex-fuel vehicles) and e-vehicles to tide over the problems created by wide fluctuations in crude oil prices in the international market.

The SIAM in New Delhi on Monday organised a technology demonstration conceptualised on adoption of ethanol and use of flex-fuel vehicles in India.

Gadkari added that the aviation sector is also facing problems due to the high cost of aviation fuel.

Vehicles suitable for flex-fuel may use more than one fuel or a mixture of two fuels. Usually a mixture of petrol and ethanol/methanol is used as fuel in flex-fuel vehicles.

The Union Minister said, “India is the largest user of fossil fuels in the world. That is why it is our responsibility to spread awareness and provide education about ethanol blended with petrol and its benefits as compared to conventional fuel.”

Gadkari added that use of flex-fuel vehicles would help reduce India’s fuel import cost by a huge margin. Thus there will be saving of foreign exchange fund and will also serve as a strategic advantage of being ‘Atmanirbhar’ or ‘self-reliant’.

He also said that the automobile industry would benefit the most from the roads developed by his Ministry, adding that his Ministry is building 27 new expressways and has received 260 projects for building ropeways and funicular railway systems.

Gadkari added that the automobile industry has created 40 million jobs, which is the highest in India. Apart from this, use of flex-fuel vehicles is currently a Rs 7.5 lakh crore industry and is expected to reach Rs 15 lakh crore in the next five years.

The Minister also spoke about making bio-CNG and LNG from stubble acquired by burning crops. He added that the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. has built a major project in Panipat, Haryana, where one lakh litre of ethanol and 150 tonne of Bio-Bitumen are being made daily from stubble.

–IANS