Maruti's First Flex Fuel Car Is 10 Days Away From Launch: What To Expect

Fuel prices in India have been increased for the fourth time in the last 10 days. While the general public is struggling with the price hike, we have also come across reports stating that the government is evaluating a higher ethanol blend in petrol to keep up with rising demand amid the West Asian conflict.

Nitin Gadkari has now come forward with a claim that Maruti Suzuki will unveil a flex-fuel vehicle on June 5. While the Union Minister has made this claim, Maruti Suzuki itself has not officially confirmed the same.

Maruti Suzuki has been working on alternate-fuel engines for a while now, and they have actually showcased some of these models in the past. The company has showcased prototypes of the Maruti WagonR Flex Fuel and the Maruti Fronx Flex Fuel at multiple expos in India and abroad.

So, if Maruti unveils a flex-fuel car in India on June 5, which also happens to be World Environment Day, it is likely going to be either the WagonR Flex Fuel or the Fronx Flex Fuel model. The flex-fuel prototype of the WagonR was showcased at the Bharat Mobility Expo in 2024, while the Fronx Flex Fuel version was showcased last year in Japan.

The flex-fuel prototypes of the WagonR and the Fronx are actually E85–E100 compatible. This means these cars are capable of running on fuel with 85 percent to 100 percent ethanol blend. As part of making these models compatible, brands are expected to upgrade the fuel lines and injectors. The engine calibration will also be revised for higher ethanol concentration. E100-capable vehicles will need specially designed fuel-system components because ethanol is more corrosive and absorbs moisture more easily than petrol.

In order to make these changes to the models, additional costs are involved, and that will be reflected in the final price too. It is expected that these vehicles could be around Rs 40,000–50,000 more expensive than the regular E20-compliant versions.

If the government really wants to push flex-fuel cars in the market, it should ensure that the cars are priced aggressively. Not just the cars, but the fuel itself should also be affordable. It should ideally be at least 30 percent cheaper than regular petrol.

We were initially promised that ethanol blending would reduce imports and dependence on imported fuel. This way, fuel prices could also be brought down. However, that has not happened yet. We are actually paying more for fuel than ever before, and that too with an ethanol blend of 20 percent.

Ethanol is produced from crops like rice, wheat, corn, and sugarcane. All of these crops are widely cultivated in India. However, among these four, sugarcane and corn require a large amount of water for cultivation.

As per Union Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra, producing 1 litre of ethanol from sugarcane requires 3,630 litres of water. Meanwhile, maize requires 4,670 litres, and rice requires a massive 10,790 litres of water per litre of ethanol.

Ethanol-blended fuel also reduces the fuel efficiency of vehicles, which means your vehicle consumes more fuel than before. People would only be willing to make that compromise if they see an incentive. That incentive, in this case, should be lower fuel prices. Currently, petrol prices in the national capital, as we write this story, stand at around Rs 102 per litre. That means the price for E85 or E100 fuel should ideally be around Rs 70 or lower to attract buyers.