- India's first mass segment flex fuel car has been showcased by Maruti Suzuki
- Maruti Suzuki Wagon R Flex Fuel Prototype is designed and developed in India
- An improved engine was created specifically for the Wagon R Flex Fuel prototype car
At the SIAM Ethanol Technology exhibition, Maruti Suzuki India Limited displayed the country's first flex-fuel vehicle. Maruti Suzuki Wagon R Flex Fuel Prototype was on display for the brand at the expo. Designed to run on any ethanol-petrol combination between 20% (E20) and 85% (E85) of gasoline, this is India's first mass-market Flex Fuel vehicle. With the necessary assistance from Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan, this car was created and developed locally by Maruti Suzuki engineers in India.
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Maruti Suzuki Wagon R Flex Fuel Prototype
The brand has modified the engine in the Wagon R Flex Fuel prototype car specifically to use ethanol-blended pettrol. New fuel system technology, such as heated fuel rail for cold start aid and ethanol sensor for ethanol percentage monitoring, have been developed to make the engine compatible with higher ethanol mixes (E20-E85). To assure the durability of the engine and the vehicle, additional components, such as the engine management system, updated fuel pumps, and fuel injectors, among others, have been designed. Maruti Suzuki has created engine management system methods and an emission control system to conform to the strict BS6 Phase-II emission criteria in order to be in line with the most recent regulations.
At the occasion, Mr. Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited said, Maruti Suzuki has consistently aligned itself to the national objectives of reducing countrys oil import burden and improving the environment. Designed and developed locally in India with support from SMC, Japan, the Wagon R Flex Fuel prototype vehicle emboldens Government of Indias Make in India efforts. Notably, our research shows that ethanol fuel based Wagon R Flex Fuel prototype vehicle operating on E85 fuel will help reduce tailpipe GHG emissions by 79% in comparison to a conventional gasoline Wagon R model while ensuring the same power performance. Its benefits have also been outlined in Niti Aayogs Roadmap for Ethanol Blending in India 2020-25 which elaborates on the plan for production and utilization of ethanol for automotive application. Further, India is the largest producer & consumer of sugar, and its second largest exporter in the world. Ethanol made from processing crop waste, is ideal for an agrarian economy. This also gives an impetus to the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative .
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Maruti Suzuki is working on a number of technologies including Electric, Hybrid Electric, CNG, Bio-gas, Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, etc. in keeping with the Government of India's focus on encouraging clean-fuel vehicles. By March 2023, the business intends to have all of its product lines fully compatible with E20 fuel regulations.
Verdict: Consumers will have a new, more inexpensive fuel alternative for cars with the introduction of flex-fuel. Alternative fuel sources are being developed by companies like Maruti Suzuki to lessen the dependence of automobiles on diesel and petrol.
