What Are Flex-Fuel Vehicles? Working, Pros, Cons and Its Impact Explained

In the last few years, you’ve probably heard increasingly more about flex-fuel vehicles, even if you didn’t fully understand what flex-fuel means.

Today several flex-fuel benefits exist. But before you make a buying decision investing in this type of vehicle, you should first understand what you’re purchasing.

In this blog, we will cover everything you must know about flex-fuel and flex-fuel vehicles. The benefits of using these vehicles, the challenges associated with flex-fuel, the difference between the FFVs and the Gasoline Vehicles and what are the upcoming flex-fuel vehicles in India.

What is Flex Fuel & Flex Fuel Vehicles?

Flex fuel also known as flexible fuel is an alternative fuel made of a combination of gasoline and methanol or ethanol.

Flex-fuel vehicles commonly referred to as FFVs, are those that have internal combustion engines designed to run on more than one type of fuel.

Other than a few modifications to the engine and fuel system, FFVs are virtually identical to gasoline-only models.

Although you may have heard in recent times, this technology isn't new. It was first developed in the early 1990s and used in the mass-produced 1994 Ford Taurus. By 2017, there were around 21 million flex-fuel vehicles on the road.

In other terms, these are a special category of automobiles designed to run on a blend of two primary fuels: petrol (gasoline) and bioethanol.

Unlike traditional vehicles that solely run on petrol, FFVs are equipped with advanced engines and fuel systems that can adapt to different fuel mixtures.

The most common bioethanol blend used is E85, which includes 85% bioethanol and 15% petrol.

How do Flex-Fuel Vehicles work?

Even though flex-fuel vehicles aren’t a complicated engineering marvel, they are certainly an admirable innovation.

These vehicles operate by putting to use conventional internal combustion engines, with some tweaks to adapt to the varied range of ethanol blends in the fuel.

The engines fitted in these vehicles are specially designed engines, sensors, and fuel delivery systems that can automatically adjust to the ethanol content in the fuel being used.

This system detects the ethanol-gasoline ratio whenever a vehicle is filled with flex fuel and makes real-time adjustments to optimize combustion.

This technology makes sure that the vehicle performs efficiently regardless of the fuel blend, thus offering maximum operating efficiency and cleaner emissions.

What is the difference between the Flex-Fuel Vehicles and the Gasoline Vehicles?

When it comes to the difference between the flex fuel vehicle and the gasoline vehicle, there is a slight modification in the engine and fuel section of the flex fuel vehicle. Although, there won’t be any change in the performance of the FFV.

In some cases, the flex fuel vehicle generates more power than the gasoline vehicles. Ethanol has low energy when compared to gasoline per volume and due to this, the fuel economy will be lower than the gasoline vehicle.

Moreover, flex-fuel is less costly than petrol and for the production of ethanol sugarcane and corn are required which will make a huge difference in crude oil imports.

Also, the power train calibration of the FFVs and the gasoline vehicle is different. Because of the blending of ethanol in flex fuel, the pollutants will be less when compared to the gas engine vehicle.

The flex-fuel cars are capable of burning any proportion of the fuel mixture in their combustion chamber.

Most of these vehicles will have specific types of sensors to maintain the fuel injection and timing. Sustainability is another benefit that comes with flex-fuel when compared to normal gas because ethanol is created from plants.

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Flex Fuel Vehicles?

Here are some of the pros and cons of switching to flex-fuel vehicles:

Benefits of Flex Fuel Vehicles

1. Reduced carbon emissions

One of the most notable benefits of flex-fuel vehicles is their ability to cut carbon emissions, as well as NOx and SOx levels in exhaust gas.

2. Energy security

Ethanol production is frequently conducted domestically, reducing our reliance on foreign oil imports to some extent. This improves energy security by encouraging the use of locally available, renewable resources.

3. Economic benefits

Ethanol production generates economic opportunities for farmers and the agricultural industry by utilizing diverse crops such as Jatropha, sugarcane, and switchgrass.

4. Advanced Technology

Modern flex-fuel vehicles are developed using advanced technology such as electronic sensors. These technological advances allow your car to adjust the way it's operating, including detecting the fuel blend and making any necessary adjustments.

Advanced flex-fuel cars can contain 10 to 85 percent ethanol. Due to the technology it's equipped with, your vehicle will determine the most efficient proportions.

Drawbacks of flex-fuel vehicles

While flex-fuel vehicles offer several benefits, there are some drawbacks too:

1. Reduced fuel efficiency and peak power

When running on high ethanol mixes, a flex-fuel engine's fuel efficiency decreases, as do

es its peak power output.

After all, ethanol blends have a lower calorific value than fuel. Because of the corrosive nature of ethanol, these engines cost more to maintain

2. Availability

Currently, the number of ethanol mixing stations is limited. Also, because the technology is still in development, ethanol production in India is limited to a small scale.

3. Not Suitable For Current Petrol Engines

Although the existing petrol engines can handle a 10% ethanol blend, the proposed 20% blend will require some modifications to the fueling system and the engine. As a result, the typical petrol engine is not suitable for running E20 flex fuel.

Challenges faced in flex-fuel vehicles

While flex-fuel vehicles offer many advantages and promising paths toward sustainability, some challenges must be addressed.

These FFV challenges include the need for further infrastructure development to support ethanol blending and research to improve fuel efficiency and emissions control.

It is also vital to reduce the initial production and ownership costs of such vehicles while spreading awareness about such vehicles, which may also contribute to a faster adoption rate.

How Flex Fuel can make changes in the Indian economy?

In India, the ethanol blend in petrol has expanded from 1.5 to 11% during the year 2014. This change has resulted in a massive cut-off in the oil import which cost more than 40000 crores.

The use of flex-fuel has helped the Indian economy and has the potential to minimize environmental pollution because flex-fuel vehicle emissions are significantly lower than those of conventional gas engines.

If E20 is implemented successfully, more than 30000 crores can be saved per year. The flex fuel car has one disadvantage: low fuel efficiency. To address this issue in the future, there is a plan to produce electric FFVS.

Flex fuel's emission attributes have the potential to significantly reduce environmental pollution. The number of automobiles in India is increasing by the day, therefore flex-fuel vehicles would be quite beneficial in resolving many environmental issues.

Overall, the economic advantages of flex-fuel technology are multifaceted and far-reaching.

From individual cost savings to the creation of new jobs and national energy security, embracing this technology presents a unique opportunity to drive economic growth and build a more secure and sustainable future for India.

Upcoming Flex Fuel Cars in India

In 2023, Toyota Innova became the country’s as well as the world’s first car to have a flex-fuel engine that can run fully on ethanol.

This has further fuelled the discussion around this flex fuel and many car companies started working on flex-fuel vehicles. Here are a few upcoming flex-fuel cars in India:

1. Maruti Suzuki WagonR flex fuel

The Maruti Suzuki WagonR flex fuel prototype debuted at the 2023 Bharat Mobility Expo. The prototype provides a glimpse into the future, as Maruti Suzuki plans to make its whole model lineup flex-fuel capable by 2025.

The automaker claims that the flex fuel WagonR has 79 percent reduced carbon emissions. Additionally, the prototype may run on any blend of E20 and E85.

2. Mahindra XUV300 flex fuel prototype

At the Bharat Mobility Expo, Mahindra also presented its XUV300 flex fuel prototype, which can operate on a blend ratio of anywhere between 20 percent to 85 percent ethanol.

The company reported that the Mahindra XUV300 flex fuel engine produces a peak power output of 109 bhp and 200 Nm of max torque.

The new-age flex-fuel engines from Mahindra will make their entry into the market by 2025.

3. Toyota Innova Hycross flex fuel

Toyota is also piloting a project on flex-fuel engines, and recently the company showcased the Toyota Innova Hycross that can operate on up to E85 blends.

The 2.0L petrol engine of the Innova Hycros hybrid was used to showcase the possibility of using ethanol-rich blends for reduced carbon emissions.

Conclusion

While flex-fuel vehicles appear a promising option for a greener and more sustainable future in the automotive industry, we still have several concerns to address soon, including the infrastructural support and incentives.

With continued government support, public awareness campaigns, and the development of ethanol infrastructure, FFVs could play a pivotal role in reducing carbon emissions, boosting energy security, and offering consumers more eco-friendly choices.

As India advances in its journey towards sustainability, flex-fuel automobiles, or flex cars, may well become a significant player in the nation's efforts to build a cleaner, more environmentally responsible future.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the price of Flex-Fuel and can it provide good mileage?

Ans. When compared to the number of gas vehicles the mileage of the FFV is low, and as of now the price of flex-fuel is less compared to the normal gas.

Q. Which car has flex-fuel in India?

Ans. Currently, no commercially available cars in India use flex-fuel. The infrastructure and technology are still under development. However, there are a few flex-fuel cars that are expected to enter the market by 2025.

Q. Is flex-fuel a CNG?

Ans. No, flex-fuel is a blend of gasoline and ethanol, while CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) is a separate type of fuel.

Q. Is flex fuel good or bad?

Ans. It’s hard to tell whether flex fuel is good or bad as it has both advantages and disadvantages. Flex-fuel can be cheaper than gasoline and has lower emissions, but it might offer lower fuel efficiency and require compatible vehicles that are not yet widespread.

Q. Is flex fuel petrol or diesel.?

Ans. Flex-fuel is a combination of gasoline (petrol) and ethanol, not diesel. It is specifically designed for spark-ignited engines, unlike diesel fuel used in compression-ignited engines.

Q Is flex-fuel cheaper than petrol?

Ans. Flex-fuel can be cheaper than petrol, but the price difference depends on various factors like location, fuel blend, and current market prices.

Q. What are the disadvantages of flex-fuel vehicles?

Ans. Here are a few disadvantages of flex-fuel vehicles:

• Lower fuel efficiency compared to gasoline on a per-gallon basis.
  
• Limited availability of flex-fuel stations.
  
• May require specific maintenance practices.