Maruti Suzuki showcased a flex-fuel prototype and it is a Wagon R flex fuel. It is the first mass-market flex-fuel car designed to run on any ethanol-petrol blend between 20 per cent (E20) and 85 per cent (E85) fuel. The car was unveiled by road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari. This car is designed and developed locally by engineers of Maruti Suzuki along with inputs from Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan.
The Wagon R flex fuel has an updated engine that uses higher ethanol-blended petrol which causes lesser emissions. To make the engine compatible with higher ethanol blends (E20-E85), the engine needed new components like a new fuel system including a heated fuel rail for cold start assist and an ethanol sensor for ethanol percentage detection.
Along with that, more components like the engine management system, upgraded fuel pump and fuel injector, among others, have been developed along with the upgradation of other mechanical components. To align with the latest regulations, Maruti Suzuki has developed an engine management system and this engine to meet the BS6 Phase-II emission norms.
The ethanol-blended car fuel which the car uses helps in curbing emissions and it is absorbed back by the plants. Flex fuel has advantages as it is easier to adopt than EVs while reducing the oil import bill along with not requiring massive engine change as well. Another important factor is the lower price with higher ethanol blended petrol being expected to be at least 35 percent less expensive than regular petrol.
Maruti Suzuki has also said that its cars would be E20 compatible by March 2023. This is not the first Flex fuel car being shown in India with Toyota also showing its own flex fuel Corolla some time back
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