According to the latest reports, Maruti Suzuki has started working on an E85-compatible engine. However, there is no confirmation as to when these engines will be on the market. All Maruti Suzuki models will also be E20-compliant by April 2024. Thus, making them align with the government’s target for introducing E20 fuel.
Presently, petrol in India has a blend of around 10 to 15 per cent ethanol already. However, to increase the percentage to 20 to 25, some changes are required. These changes include different rubber hoses and the fuel system to handle the fuel’s corrosive nature. A mild engine system recalibration is also required. For higher blends like E85, it needs more modifications. These also include major remapping of the ECU, injection and ignition system to handle the fuel’s lower calorific value and cold start ability.
For Maruti Suzuki, fuel efficiency is important and maintaining it along with the lower calorific value will be its big focus. Currently, in the international markets, all the E85-compatible engines are only BS4 compliant. Thus, India could be the first market where an E85-compatible BS6 engine would debut.
Maruti Suzuki has started working on an all-electric model, which will debut in 2025. At the same time, the brand is focusing on alternate fuels. Currently, the company has a wide portfolio of 9 CNG models in India. The latest addition is the Swift hatchback. In addition to ethanol fuel development, Maruti Suzuki is also exploring bio-CNG.
After initiatives for EVs, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, is pushing for flex-fuel engines in the country. He believes that ethanol-blended fuel could be a good solution for India, like in Brazil. Brazil has been using E20 and higher blends for decades.
The solution is plausible, but it has its own problems. To implement it, a careful assessment is needed to ensure the ethanol production crops do not use agricultural land meant for food production. This is already a concern where ethanol fuel is popular.
Also Read: 2022 Maruti Suzuki Swift CNG launched at INR 7.77 lakh, 30.90 km/kg