Centre amends Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, to allow flex-fuel vehicles to run on 100% ethanol (E100)

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has made changes to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, on Monday (October 26) to allow the use of ethanol-based fuels having up to 100 per cent ethanol (E100). The amended rule paves the way for flex-fuel vehicles that run on petrol, ethanol blends of different proportions, or pure ethanol.

The amendments bring changes to Rule 115, which governs emission standards and related requirements for motor vehicles, as well as Rule 115E, which covers additional emission testing provisions. These changes are designed to accommodate vehicles built for higher ethanol blends, while making sure conventional petrol vehicles are not used with fuels they were not built to run on.

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A senior official from the road transport ministry explained that fuels blended with ethanol above E20 (20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol) and up to E100 are meant exclusively for vehicles that are specifically designed and certified for such fuels. In other words, vehicles built for E20 or standard petrol won’t be able to run on E85 or E100.

MoRTH has also updated several vehicle classification thresholds, fuel specifications, and technical references used across emission-related tables and testing norms. On top of this, the government has raised the weight limit for light petrol and diesel vehicles covered under these changes, pushing it up from 3,000 kg to 3,500 kg.