NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, on Tuesday launched the world’s first prototype of the BS 6 Stage II ‘electrified flex fuel vehicle’, developed by Toyota Kirloskar Motors.
The launch took place in the presence of Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Mahendra Nath Pandey, MD and CEO of Toyota, Masakazu Yoshimura, MD and CEO of Kirloskar Systems Ltd, Geetanjali Kirloskar, ambassador, diplomats from Japan Embassy, among others.
Gadkari said this vehicle is based on the Innova Hycross platform and is engineered to adhere to India’s stricter emission standards, marking it as the first-ever BS 6 (Stage II) electrified flex fuel vehicle prototype globally.
Ethanol being an indigenous, eco-friendly, and renewable fuel holds promising prospects for India, Gadkari said the emphasis of the PM Modi government on it aligns with the objectives of attaining energy self-sufficiency and doubling farmers’ income.
He said the day the ethanol economy becomes Rs 2 lakh crore, the agricultural growth rate will reach 20 per cent from the current 12 per cent.
Talking about innovations in biofuels, Gadkari spoke of the refinery in Assam’s Numaligarh of Indian Oil Corporation, where bamboo is being used for manufacturing bioethanol. Assam, along with other northeastern states, have emerged a major producer of bamboo. (ANI)