The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has amended the Motor Vehicles rules to permit vehicles to run on E100 fuel, which contains up to 100% ethanol.
Officials said the approval applies only to vehicles that are specifically designed for higher-ethanol blends and have the required certification. Vehicles currently operating on E20 (20% ethanol, 80% petrol) or regular petrol will not be allowed to use E85 or E100.
Along with the change, technical provisions related to vehicle classification, fuel quality and emission testing have also been updated.
The move is part of the Centre’s push to expand ethanol-blended petrol usage and reduce crude oil imports. E20 petrol has already been rolled out nationwide.
Flex-fuel vehicles, unlike conventional petrol vehicles, are engineered to operate on multiple blends including E85 and E100. In June, Maruti Suzuki introduced a car capable of running on fuels from E20 to E100, while Toyota, Tata Motors and Hyundai are also developing similar models.
