E85 Fuel Rollout Imminent, Could Be Much Cheaper Than Petrol

E85 fuel, or 85% ethanol-blended fuel, will be priced significantly below conventional petrol and will create a strong economic case for the adoption of flex-fuel vehicles in India, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said. The minister was speaking at the launch of Hero MotoCorp’s flex-fuel variants of its highest-selling motorcycles – the Splendor Plus and HF Deluxe.

Also Read: Hero Splendor Plus Flex Fuel, HF Deluxe Flex Fuel Launched In Delhi and Maharashtra

Hardeep Singh Puri, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister (File Picture)

“E85 fuel will be available at designated petrol dispensing points. I can share with you, E85 fuel will be used with vehicles compliant with E85. It will be substantially cheaper than normal fuel. If 1 per cent of the annual petrol vehicle sales in India shifts to E85, over 4 crore litres of ethanol demand will be generated,” said Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri.

Also Read: Govt Issues Clarification On Ethanol-Blended Petrol Affecting Car Performance

With E20 already available across the country, the government is now increasingly focussing on a higher mix of ethanol in petrol, emphasising on increasing ethanol blending to 85 per cent. Speaking at the event, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister said affordable fuel pricing will be critical to driving consumer acceptance of flex-fuel technology.

The launch of Hero MotoCorp’s flex-fuel motorcycles marks one of the first major attempts to bring the technology into the mass-market two-wheeler segment. The Hero Splendor Plus E20-E85 Flex Fuel variant has been priced at Rs. 82,710 (Ex-showroom), while the Hero HF Deluxe Flex Fuel variant has been priced at Rs. 72,792 (Ex-showroom).

The Hero Splendor+ Flex Fuel Variant is priced at Rs. 82,710 (Ex-showroom)

According to the company, the FFV versions of the motorcycles will get marginally more power and torque, but will also have reduced fuel consumption, which will be offset by the lower price of E85 fuel and benefit consumers. Deliveries of the flex fuel Hero motorcycles will begin from July 1, 2026.

The prices of the flex fuel variants are approximately 6 per cent more than their petrol-powered counterparts, and as many as 36 components have been changed, according to Hero MotoCorp. The primary changes are a recalibrated ECU, new fuel pump and a secondary fuel filter which have been introduced in the flex fuel variants of the HF Deluxe and Splendor+.

The flex fuel variants will be offered at the same price as their petrol-powered versions during the month of July 2026 to accelerate faster adoption, company officials said on the sidelines of the launch.