The company is exploring various technologies to meet evolving mobility needs.Maruti Suzuki India on Thursday launched a flex-fuel version of the WagonR that can run on ethanol-petrol blends ranging from E20 to E100. Describing it as the country’s first flex-fuel passenger vehicle, company’s MD and CEO, Hisashi Takeuchi, said flex-fuel technology could support India’s goals of reducing oil imports and carbon emissions.
Speaking at the launch event, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said flex-fuel vehicles could help reduce India’s crude oil import bill while creating additional demand for ethanol and supporting the rural economy.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said wider adoption of flex-fuel vehicles would contribute to lowering crude oil imports and emissions while supporting ethanol production.
Industry push for ethanol mobility
Takeuchi noted that large-scale adoption would require the development of a broader ecosystem, including fuel availability and supporting infrastructure.
He said the company plans to pursue multiple technologies and fuel options, including battery electric vehicles, hybrids, CNG, compressed biogas (CBG) and flex-fuel vehicles, as part of its strategy to address evolving mobility and emissions requirements.
