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Toyota To Reveal First Flex-Fuel Car In India Tomorrow - Time To Open The Taps?
Toyota is all set to reveal the first flex-fuel car in India tomorrow in the presence of Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.
Japanese carmaker Toyota is all set to reveal the first flex-fuel car in India tomorrow in the presence of Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.
Details about the vehicle set to be revealed on the 28th of September are still scarce. However, the new flex-fuel car is expected to be from Toyota's Brazilian portfolio and is expected to be either the Corolla or Camry with the former the more likely offering.
The Brazil spec of the Corolla Hybrid is powered by either a 2.0-turbocharged engine or a 1.8-litre powerplant that comes paired with two electric motors. Both internal combustion engines can run on petrol, ethanol or a mix of both fuels.
The 2.0-litre powerplant produces 177hp and 210Nm of torque when powered by pure Ethanol (E100). The hybrid setup sees the engine churning out 101hp and 142Nm when powered by E100 with the two electric motors adding another 72hp and 163Nm of torque.
As mentioned earlier details are still scarce about which car we'll actually see tomorrow and whether or not Toyota will just be showcasing or actually launching it tomorrow. The new flex fuel sedan is expected to be part of a new pilot program similar to the one undertaken with the Toyota Mirai FCEV that runs on hydrogen.
So What Exactly is A Flex Fuel Vehicle?
As mentioned earlier when talking about the Brazil-spec Corolla, a flex fuel vehicle can run on petrol or ethanol or a blended mix of both fuels. The most common engines in these cars usually run on a blend of petrol and ethanol but can also run on either pure petrol or E100 (pure ethanol).
So How Does A Flex-Fuel Vehicle Work?
Most of the components for the internal combustion engine remain the same for a flex-fuel vehicle when compared to one fitted to a flex-fuel vehicle. The engines in flex-fuel vehicles are fitted with fuel mix sensors and special engine control units that can automatically sense the blend of fuels on offer and adjust the engine's response to the same.
So What Are The Benefits/ Downsides of Flex-Fuel Vehicles?
Flex-fuel vehicles usually offer better performance compared to their petrol-powered siblings. Higher amounts of ethanol in the fuel mix usually result in raised power and torque numbers.
However, flex-fuel-powered cars usually deliver slightly lower mileage compared to their petrol siblings, however, the lower price of blended fuels usually offsets this issue.
Why Are Flex-Fuel Vehicles Important For India?
India is looking at ethanol-blended fuels to help cut down its oil consumption and dependence on foreign-owned black gold. A recent report by SIAM concluded that India could save up to Rs 30,000 crores on its oil bills every year if we switch to E20 (petrol with 20 per cent ethanol blended in). India is expected to start rolling out E20 blended fuels next year.
Our Thoughts About Flex-Fuel Vehicles
Flex-Fuel vehicles seem to be the way to go before the inevitable switch to pure electric propulsion in the future. With the Government gung-ho on blended fuels, Toyota's new flex-fuel sedan may just be the one to open the floodgates to these vehicles and blended fuels becoming the norm in the very near future.