Flexi-Fuel Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Why is in news? Shri Nitin Gadkari Launches first of its kind pilot project on Flexi-Fuel Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicles (FFV-SHEV) in India

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Launched Toyota’s first of its kind pilot project on Flexi-Fuel Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicles (FFV-SHEV) in India on 11^th October, 2022, which would run on 100% petrol as well as 20 to 100% blended ethanol and electric power.

The minister said 6 to 8 percent increase in agricultural growth rate is necessary for AtmaNirbhar Bharat. He emphasized on importance of converting surplus foodgrain and sugarinto ethanol for boosting rural economy.

Encouraging'Anndatas' (Food giver) to become 'Urjadatas' (Energy givers), The Minister said the success of this pilot project will create an ecosystem of electric vehicles and make NewIndia, a global leader in the manufacture of these electric vehicles.

He said such technologies are innovative, revolutionary, sustainable, cost-effective, energy-efficient & will completely transform the transportation sector in New India.

Flex-fuel vehicles (FFV): They have engines that can run on flexible fuel — a combination of petrol and ethanol, which can include up to 100% ethanol.

Flex Fuel Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicles (FFV-SHEV): When FFV is integrated along with strong hybrid electric technology, it is referred as FFV-SHEVs.

Strong hybrid is another term for full hybrid vehicles, which have the capability to run solely on either electric or petrol modes.

In contrast, mild hybrids cannot run purely on one of these modes and use the secondary mode merely as a supplement to the main mode of propulsion.

In order to accelerate the introduction of FFVs, the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme has included automobile and auto components of flex fuel engines.

Related Government Initiatives: National Policy on Biofuels–2018, E100 Project, Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana, 2019, GOBAR (Galvanising Organic Bio-Agro Resources) DHAN Scheme, 2018, Repurpose Used Cooking Oil (RUCO).