India's launch of E85 gasoline has prompted calls from industry participants for faster rollout of flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) and expanded refuelling infrastructure to support higher ethanol use.
Oil minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched E85 at an Indian Oil retail outlet in New Delhi on 5 June. It can be used in FFVs compatible with blends from E20 to E100.
The launch follows Indian automakers introducing their first FFVs for higher ethanol blends last week. Maruti Suzuki unveiled India's first flex-fuel car on 4 June, while Hero MotoCorp launched its Splendor+ and HF Deluxe motorbikes on 3 June, the first bikes in the country able to run on blends of up to E85.
Indian Oil's general manager for alternative energy, Bibhudatta Rout, said the country lacks sufficient FFVs but said the E85 launch would support future expansion of high-ethanol mobility. The government plans to offer E85 at 48 public-sector fuel stations, expanding to 500 outlets by the end of this year and 5,000 by 2027. E85 is priced at a 20 rupees/litre discount to E20.
Market participants expect faster FFV rollout. Fuelbrains director Sachin Malusare said "faster adoption will be the key to ethanol consumption as well as energy independence."
Industry participants have also highlighted infrastructure constraints. Shree Renuka Sugars director Atul Chaturvedi said E85 should initially be rolled out near ethanol-producing centres and stressed the need for sufficient dispensing capacity. India's ethanol output is concentrated in sugar-producing states, notably Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
India has accelerated its fuel blending programme in recent months and is progressing towards sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blending. The government said vehicles using E85 could reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by about 61pc compared with conventional gasoline vehicles. Since 2014-15, the ethanol blending programme has saved 1.84 trillion rupees ($18.4bn) in foreign exchange.
In April, India proposed allowing higher ethanol blends up to E85 and E100 through changes to vehicle rules, alongside biodiesel blends of up to 100pc (B100). New fuel standards introduced in May cover blends including E22, E25, E27 and E30. Conventional vehicles remain incompatible with higher blends such as E85, risking engine damage.
India's ethanol production capacity exceeds current E20 blending requirements and could support higher mandates. But supply remains tied to monsoon conditions and agricultural output, said RNK Commodities consultant Nandlal Talware, adding that sustained feedstock availability for at least the next five years will be key to scaling E85 and FFV adoption.
