New Delhi: Toyota Motor on Tuesday launched the world’s first fully ethanol-powered car equipped with a flex-fuel engine. This model, based on the popular MPV Innova HyCross, was officially unveiled in an event attended by Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari.
The electrified flex-fuel Innova HyCross does 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).
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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 flex-fuel, said a press release from Toyota India.
Company officials said that the flex-fuel iteration of the Innova HyCross differs slightly from the hybrid variant of the MPV available in the Indian market. In contrast, the Innova HyCross hybrid is equipped with a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder petrol engine generating 181 bhp, providing a fuel efficiency of 23.24 kmpl. This engine is paired with an e-CVT transmission.
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In March of the same year, Toyota Motor unveiled India’s inaugural all-hydrogen electric vehicle, the Mirai, as part of its collaborative pilot program with the International Center for Automotive Technology (ICAT). The Toyota Mirai FCEV stands as one of the pioneering hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles globally, operating solely on electricity generated from pure hydrogen. It’s recognized as a genuine zero-emission vehicle, releasing only water from its tailpipe.
Highlighting the potential of Flex Fuel Vehicle Technologies in energy and automobile industry, petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that these vehicle technologies provide opportunity of greater substitution of petrol by Ethanol as it is capable of using any of the higher blends of ethanol mix beyond 20%.
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Gadkari expressing his views on the launch of world’s first prototype of the BS 6 Stage II ‘Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicle’, stated that this innovative vehicle is based on the Innova Hycross 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. He mentioned that the forthcoming stages for this prototype encompasses meticulous refinement, homologation, and certification processes.
An Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicle has both a Flexi Fuel engine and an electric powertrain. This gives it ability to provide dual benefit of higher ethanol use and much higher fuel efficiency as is in case of a Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicle (SHEV), which can provide 30-50% higher Fuel Efficiency as it can run 40-60% in EV mode with engine shut off.
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Heavy industries minister Mahendra Nath Pandey, managing director and chief executive officer of Toyota Kirloskar Motor Masakazu Yoshimura and chairperson and managing director, Kirloskar System Pvt Ltd Geetanjali Kirloskar also attended the event.
