Roll-out 'Flex-Fuel Vehicles' within a year, Gadkari to industry

New Delhi, Aug 3 Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday emphasised the need for a quick roll-out of 'Flex-Fuel Vehicles within a year's time.

In technical parlance, FFVs are capable of running on 100 per cent ethanol and gasoline.

Gadkari gave the call at a meeting on Tuesday with a delegation of CEOs from the Society of India Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) comprising of private, commercial and two-wheeler automobile Manufacturers.

"The delegation presented an update of the auto industry's status and requested for deferment of emission-based regulations such as 'BS-6 phase 2', 'CAFE Phase 2' among others such as 'OBD' regulations for two-wheelers," the ministry said in a statement.

"Gadkari emphasised on the need for a quick roll-out of Flex-Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) capable of running on 100 per cent ethanol and gasoline into the Indian auto market within a year's time, vis-a-vis successful available technologies in Brazil and the US."

Besides, the minister appealed to all private vehicle manufacturers to compulsorily provide a minimum of six airbags across all variants and segments of the vehicle, in the interest of passenger safety.

"The requests of SIAM are currently under consideration and a follow-up meeting may be organised within a fortnight."