Union Minister Nitin Gadkari will soon introduce a version of Toyota Innova, which runs entirely on ethanol, a fuel made from plants. He plans to unveil this new car on August 29. Gadkari has been encouraging car manufacturers to create vehicles that use alternative fuels and are more environment-friendly. The Minister for Road, Transport and Highways previously launched a car called the Toyota Mirai EV, which runs on purely hydrogen-generated electricity.
During the Mint Sustainability Summit, the Union Minister said that on August 29 he will launch the electric flex-fuel Toyota Innova MPV that runs on 100 percent ethanol. It will be the world’s first BS-VI (Stage-II) electrified flex-fuel vehicle, confirmed Toyota in the official media invite.
The minister mentioned that this car will be the first in the world to be Stage2 BS6 compatible and run entirely on 100 percent ethanol, indicated by “E100”. This is a significant achievement for India, transitioning from introducing E10 to now having E100 cars in a remarkably short period of time.
Gadkari said that his interest in biofuels began in 2004 due to a rise in petrol prices in the country. He travelled to Brazil to explore this area. He believes that biofuels have significant potential and can help save a substantial amount of foreign exchange currently being used to import petroleum. He emphasised the importance of reducing oil imports to make the country self-reliant and mentioned that the current import cost is Rs 16 lakh crore, causing a considerable economic loss.
Gadkari said that several road projects, valued at Rs 65,000 crore, are expected to finish by the end of the year. These projects encompass the construction of the Dwarka Expressway. Additionally, he drew attention to the negative effects of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, noting that they can lead to diseases similar to cancer. He expressed the view that adopting organic farming practices has the potential to generate significant prosperity while also promoting sustainability.
The car industry in India has seen the introduction of powerful hybrid cars such as the Toyota Innova Hycross, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Maruti Suzuki Invicto, Honda City Hybrid and Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder. Indian companies like Mahindra and Tata are also working on releasing a bunch of vehicles that produce zero emissions within the next couple of years.
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