Maruti Suzuki Wagon R Flex Fuel Showcased In Delhi; Can Run On Pure Ethanol

Maruti Suzuki has once again rolled out the Wagon R Flex Fuel, having showcased it multiple times over the last few years, on the eve of World Environment Day. The Wagon R, which is one of India's highest-selling cars, has been reworked to run on a higher ethanol blend. The regular Wagon R is E20-compliant, but the flex-fuel variant can run blends of up to E85 (85 per cent ethanol, 15 per cent petrol). The Wagon R Flex Fuel can also run on pure ethanol (E100), but has been homologated for blends of up to E85, as regulations outline flex fuel as blends of E20 to E85. However, there is no word on price or availability of the Wagon R Flex Fuel at this point.

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A senior government official confirmed during the launch event that plans to roll out E85 fuel stations are afoot, and that India will have around 500 such outlets by the end of 2026.

“In the beginning, we will have about 50 to 100 dispensing outlets in Delhi-NCR and the Mumbai-Pune-Nagpur corridor, these will expand to 500 by December this year, and approx, god willing, to 5,000 outlets across major cities by end of next year”, said Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas in India.

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Road transport minister Nitin Gadkari revealed conversations are ongoing with carmakers to explore the possibility of upgrading existing passenger vehicles on Indian roads to be compliant with E85 fuel. He also mentioned the government is currently evaluating the possibility of blending isobutanol with diesel.

This is a developing story. Please stay tuned for more details.