FLEX-FUEL VEHICLES
WHY IN NEWS ?
- Recently, Toyota unveiled a prototype of the car with a flex-fuel hybrid powertrain, its first car of this type in India.
MORE ABOUT THE NEWS:
- Toyota had displayed an imported Corolla flex-fuel hybrid sedan as a pilot project late last year.
- The pilot was initiated as part of a government-led push to commercially deploy this technology, which is already in use in markets such as Brazil, Canada, and the United States.
WHAT ARE FLEX FUEL VEHICLES ?
- A flexible-fuel vehicle (FFV) or dual-fuel vehicle is an alternative fuel vehicle with an internal combustion engine designed to run on more than one fuel, usually gasoline blended with either ethanol or methanol fuel, and both fuels are stored in the same common tank.
- Modern flex-fuel engines are capable of burning any proportion of the resulting blend in the combustion chamber as fuel injection and spark timing are adjusted automatically according to the actual blend detected by a fuel composition sensor.
- Flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) are designed to run on gasoline or gasoline-ethanol blends of up to 85% ethanol (E85).
- FFVs experience no loss in performance when operating on E85, and some generate more torque and horsepower than when operating on gasoline.
- Flex-fuel vehicles are distinguished from bi-fuel vehicles, where two fuels are stored in separate tanks and the engine runs on one fuel at a time.
WORKING OF THIS TECHNOLOGY :
- Most components in a flex fuel vehicle are the same as those in petrol-only cars.
- But some special ethanol-compatible components are required to adjust to the different chemical properties and energy content in ethanol/ methanol, such as modifications to the fuel pump and fuel injection system.
- The Engine Control Module is also calibrated to accommodate the higher oxygen content of ethanol.
ADVANTAGES OF FLEX FUEL TECHNOLOGY:
- One of the greatest advantages of a flex-fuel vehicle is that is can burn whatever proportion of fuel mixture is in the combustion chamber.
- The use of ethanol blending sharply lowers harmful pollutants such as carbon monoxide, sulphur, and carbon and nitrogen oxides.
- Many flex-fuel vehicles run on ethanol, which is sustainably produced from ingredients such as cane sugar and corn. This makes ethanol a good alternative to purchasing foreign oil.
- As fuel economy is generally lower with increased levels of ethanol, many flex fuel vehicles have improved acceleration performance when operating on higher ethanol blends.
CONS OF FLEX FUELS:
- A primary disadvantage of flex fuel is its reduced energy content compared to gasoline, which can result in FFVs experiencing 10-27% reduced fuel efficiency when operating on E85 compared to traditional gasoline.
- Some critics argue that the demand for ethanol production could affect food prices by increasing the demand for corn and other feedstock used in its production.
- The National Biofuel Policy 2018 envisages a 2025 target of 20% blending.
- Countries such as Brazil can be flexible on the degree of the mix depending on crude prices, varying it when energy prices rise like they did after the Ukraine war — the precondition being that the vehicular fleet has been equipped to adjust to this varying fuel mix.
ADVANTAGES OF BLENDING:
- The ethanol mix in petrol in India went up from 1.53% in 2013-14 to 11.5% in March 2023.
- This has helped cut the oil import bill by an estimated Rs 41,500 crore in the last eight years.
- In 2020-21, ethanol blending enabled a reduction of 26 million barrels of petrol, resulting in savings of Rs 10,000 crore, according to official estimates.
- The expected implementation of E20 by April 2025 is estimated to result in annual savings of Rs 35,000 crore in India’s oil import bill.
WAY FORWARD:
- To overcome the challenges of lower fuel efficiency of flex-fuel vehicles, electrified flex-fuel vehicles are being introduced, which offer the advantages of both a flex-fuel engine and an electric powertrain.
SYLLABUS: MAINS, GS-3, TECHNOLOGY
SOURCE: INDIAN EXPRESS
