TL;DR
Toyota Kirloskar Motor is urging the Indian government to offer incentives for ethanol-based hybrid flex-fuel vehicles, positioning them as a highly effective and clean long-term mobility solution.
Toyota Kirloskar Motor is advocating for government incentives to promote hybrid flex-fuel vehicles in India, particularly those running on ethanol. The automaker argues that these vehicles offer a superior long-term clean fuel solution compared to solely electric vehicles, citing lower emissions across their full lifecycle.
According to Vikram Gulati, Toyota's country head, ethanol-based hybrid flex-fuel vehicles can achieve the lowest emissions when considering the entire lifecycle, not just tailpipe output. This push comes amidst India's strong focus on electric vehicle adoption, with Toyota emphasizing the complementary role of flex-fuel technology in the nation's clean mobility transition.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has also championed flex-fuel technology, highlighting bio-ethanol as a cleaner and more economical alternative to petrol. He pointed out that ethanol, produced from agricultural by-products, can reduce pollution, support farmers, and decrease India's dependence on imported fuels, with current fuel costs significantly lower than petrol.
