Bajaj is planning to launch a new motorcycle powered by Ethanol. In the recent past, the possibilities of an Ethanol powered motorcycle was being discussed and now the company at the India Bio-Energy & Tech Expo 2024 has revealed the Pulsar NS160 which could run on various ratios of petrol and ethanol. Also, reports reveal that the Pulsar NS 160 is capable of running on 100% ethanol fuel (E100). Currently, the company produces E27 compliant motorcycles in markets other than India.
While details on the new motorcycle are scarce, sources reveal that the E100 compliant Pulsar NS 160 is likely to produce similar power figures but the fuel efficiency is likely to be slightly less than the petrol-powered version. The engine is likely to be similar to the 160cc single cylinder motor that produces 17 Bhp of power and 14.6 Nm of torque on the petrol-powered version. However, the internal fuel supply system as well as the fuel tank might have been re engineered to work with Ethanol. Also other engine components are likely to be ethanol specific due to the corrosive nature of the fuel.
The new Ethanol powered motorcycle is being introduced in wake of the Indian governments push towards cleaner fuels. Ethanol is also likely to be more affordable than petrol and is produced by fermenting the sugars in the starches of grains such as corn, barley, sorghum etc. This also makes the fuel more eco friendly in nature. However, there are hardly any petrol stations that deliver E100 fuel. But as time progresses and more manufacturers plan to introduce E100 compatible motorcycles existing petrol pumps are likely to start retailing E100 fuel. Currently, fuel stations blend upto 20% ethanol with petrol.
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