Flex-Fuel Vehicles : Daily Current Affairs

Relevance: GS-3: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.

Key phrases: FFVs, Ethanol, Hybrid engine, E10, E20, E100, Flex Fuel Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicles (FFSHEV)

Why in News?

FFVs are capable of running on 100 per cent petrol or 100 per cent bioethanol or a combination of both.

What is Flex-Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) :

The flex-fuel engine-based vehicles use a blend of the gasoline and ethanol. FFVs will allow vehicles to use all the blends and also run on unblended fuel.
Flex fuel vehicles (FFV) are capable of running on 100 per cent petrol or 100 per cent bio-ethanol or a combination of both.
Ethanol is a by-product of sugarcane but can also be made from grains. In short, ethanol is a renewable fuel made from various plant materials collectively known as biomass.
Given the size of the country’s sugarcane and grain production, India can meet most of its ethanol requirements indigenously.
In a good flex-fuel vehicle, up to 83 per cent ethanol can be mixed with petrol, which is a global standard.
Bio-ethanol contains less energy per litre than petrol but the calorific value (energy contained in the fuel) of bio-ethanol will become on par with petrol with use of advanced technology.
The government has also advised carmakers to start making Flex Fuel Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicles (FFSHEV). Such a vehicle, though yet to be made widely available in world markets, essentially houses an electric motor which powers the vehicle alongside the traditional petrol engine.

What way are they different from existing vehicles?

Since an FFV is capable of running on either petrol or ethanol, it will be the first of its kind 100 per cent dual fuel vehicle to be running on Indian roads.
To be sure, a litre of petrol sold in India has an average of 8 percent ethanol content even though oil marketing companies have clearance to do even 10 percent (E10) blending.
All vehicles manufactured in India are tuned for E10. All existing vehicles on Indian roads will not be able to run on higher ethanol content beyond 10 percent.

Why is Government of India pushing for FFVs?

Last year (FY21), India’s oil import bill stood at $62.7 billion which was matched in just the first seven months (April-October) of this year. To make matters worse, the rupee is at its weakest level in last three financial years. The government is desperate to bring down the oil import bill by creating fuel substitutes like ethanol, hydrogen and electricity.
Even a push till the E20 level can result in savings of $4 billion per annum, as per estimates. This is possible only if flex-fuel vehicles are made available in the market. Also, FFVs will also help the government meet its commitments when it comes to reducing emission.

Advantages of Flex-Fuel Vehicles:

Environmental impact: Ethanol burns cleaner than gasoline and therefore is responsible for fewer toxic fumes, which is highly advantageous from an anti-pollution point of view. The fact that ethanol does not contribute significantly to greenhouse gasses, makes it a popular alternative among the environmentally conscious.
Alternative fuel ethanol is Rs 60-62 per litre while petrol costs more than Rs 100 per litre in many parts of the country, so by using ethanol, Indians will save Rs 30-35 per litre. Since India has surplus produce of corn, sugar and wheat, the mandatory blending of ethanol programme will help farmers in realising higher incomes.
Alternative to oil: Many flex fuel vehicles make use of ethanol, which originates from corn and sugar cane, a viable alternative to purchasing foreign oil.
For India, FFVs will present a different advantage as they will allow vehicles to use different blends of ethanol mixed petrol available in different parts of the country.
For the overall Indian economy, higher usage of ethanol as an automobile fuel will help save import costs as the country meets more than 80 per cent of its crude oil requirements through imports.
Tax benefit.: Another significant advantage of driving a flex fuel vehicle is the flex fuel tax credit which replaced the clean-fuel burning deduction. This tax credit substantially reduces and may even eliminate a taxpayer's tax obligation

Disadvantages of Flex-Fuel Vehicles:

Sole use: The use of ethanol can be considered a disadvantage as well because any crops that are made available for fuel production cannot be used for any other use. This could lead to higher prices for products like animal feed that could otherwise be derived from them. Corn, in particular, is a labour-intensive crop to cultivate and is prone to drought, bad weather conditions and disease
Engine damage: Ethanol can also unfortunately cause corrosion and damage to the engine, mainly because it absorbs dirt easily
Expense: Ethanol is also not as economical as gasoline; in that it does not provide the same level of fuel efficiency. Suppliers of ethanol may not be as numerous as those who supply gasoline, so flex fuel stations may be fewer and farther between than is presently the case with gasoline stations. In fact, there are currently only a few stations nationwide that supply ethanol.

Way Forward:

Although the advantages and disadvantages of flex fuel vehicles will be debated for some time to come, one of the most popular fuels for these vehicles, ethanol, is finding favour with many in power positions. More ethanol refining plants are requesting permission to develop additional facilities. Ethanol has moved out of the research phase and may very well be the first alternative fuel to be implemented nationally, which can only count in favour for the continuing popularity of flex fuel vehicles.

Source: The Hindu BL

Mains Question:

Q. Flex-Fuel Vehicles are capable of running on 100 per cent petrol or 100 per cent bioethanol or a combination of both. In the light of this statement elaborate on the features of Flex-Fuel Vehicles? What are the challenges faced by Government to boost Flex-Fuel Vehicles in India? Illustrate.