Toyota Innova HyCross: World First Ethanol Fuel Car

Toyota Motor has unveiled the world’s first fully ethanol-powered car(World First Ethanol Fuel Car) equipped with a flex-fuel engine. This model, based on the popular MPV Innova HyCross, was officially launched today, August 29, in an event attended by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

Aa new 100% ethanol-fueled variant of Toyota’s Innova will launch today and it will run on 100 per cent ethanol. The car will be the world’s first BS-VI (Stage-II), electrified flex-fuel vehicle.  It would also generate 40 percent electricit, thereby bringing the effective price of ethanol much lower.

Announcement By Union Minister Nitin Gadkari

Gadkari, who has been vocal in nudging car manufacturers to make alternative fuel-powered and green vehicles, has time and again stressed on the necessity to cut down oil imports and make India “atmanirbhar”, echoing the Narendra Modi-led government’s vision of making the nation self-reliant across all sectors

Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari will unveil a version of Toyota Innova, which runs entirely on biofuel ethanol, on August 29. Early this month, the minister had announced at a sustainability conclave that he will launch the electric flex-fuel Toyota Innova MPV, which is entirely fueled by ethanol – a fuel which comes from plants – indicated by “E100”.

According to a company statement by Toyota, the ethanol-fueled variant of Toyota Innova will be the world’s first BS-VI (Stage-II) electrified flex-fuel vehicle. Last year, Gadkari introduced the Toyota Mirai EV, which runs on purely hydrogen-generated electricity.

Toyota Innova HyCross: World First Ethanol fuel Car Hd Images

About World First Ethanol Fuel Car :

Interestingly, the electrified First Ethanol fuel Car Innova HyCross not only runs on alternative fuel but can also generate its electric power and operate in EV mode. This prototype of the electrified Innova HyCross flex-fuel is in compliance with the latest emission standards, Bharat Stage 6 (Stage 2).

The Toyota Innova HyCross flex-fuel MPV is designed to operate exclusively on ethanol, a plant-derived fuel categorized as E100. Additionally, it will incorporate a lithium-ion battery pack capable of providing sufficient power to enable the vehicle to operate in EV mode. Currently, there is no confirmed release date for the production version of the electrified Innova HyCross First Ethanol fuel Car.

The move towards biofuels aims to significantly reduce the enormous amount spent on petroleum imports (Rs 16 lakh crore) and promote India’s self-reliance in energy.

“We have taken a lot of (sustainability) initiatives but we need to take more because pollution is a problem. Ecology and the environment are very important. We need to reduce air and water pollution. We have to improve the quality of water in our rivers. This is a big challenge. We need to protect our ecology and environment,” said Gadkari.

Flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) have an internal combustion engine and are capable of operating on gasoline and any blend of gasoline and ethanol up to 83%.

E85 is the official name for flex-fuel. It has 85 percent ethanol fuel and 15 percent gasoline or other hydrocarbon by volume.

 Bio-ethanol contains less energy per litre than petrol but the calorific value (energy contained in the fuel) of bio-ethanol will become on par with petrol with use of advanced technology. 

Since an FFV is capable of running on either petrol or ethanol, it will be the first of its kind 100 per cent dual fuel vehicle to be running on Indian roads.

Ethanol is a by-product of the sugar production process and can be an excellent substitute for petrol as a fuel mix. Ethanol is more affordable than petrol, as it can be produced domestically from crops, unlike crude oil, which needs to be imported.Several carmakers in India are shifting towards ethanol-blended fuel as part of their efforts to reduce emissions and comply with government regulations. Some of the leading car manufacturers in India who have already announced their plans to transition to ethanol-blended fuel include Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Toyota, Honda and Mahindra and Mahindra.

Transition to green energy

The road transport minister has been encouraging  carmakers to design and develop vehicles which use alternative fuels, are more environment friendly, and thus, have a smaller carbon footprint. Last year, he introduced the Toyota Mirai EV, which runs on purely hydrogen-generated electricity.

Gadkari believes the transition from introducing E10 to now developing E100 cars within a short time span is a significant milestone for India. At the conclave, the minister had further shared that he started taking interest in biofuels in 2004, when India was witnessing soaring petrol prices, following which he travelled to Brazil to further explore the green energy sector.