We will bring vehicles that will run 100% on ethanol soon: Nitin Gadkari

Toyota will launch Camry in August this year which will run 100% on ethanol. The car will also generate 40% electric power

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari said that the government was planning to introduce vehicles that can run entirely on ethanol. The minister was speaking at an event in Nagpur where he said that the Mercedes Benz company chairman had told him that the company will make electric cars only in future, PTI reported. In fact, Mercedes has already launched its electric vehicles in the market.

At an event, Gadkari said that the government is bringing vehicles that will not need petrol and run only on ethanol. Bajaj, TVS, and Hero scooters will run on 100 per cent ethanol, the minister added.

Nitin Gadkari said that he would launch Toyota's Camry in August this year which will run 100 per cent on ethanol. The car will also generate 40 per cent electric power.

Speaking at the event, the minister once again emphasised the need of switching to alternative, greener fuels and leave fossil fuels behind. He said that not only do ethanol-powered vehicles create fewer emissions, but are also cost-effective.

Ethanol produced in the country is sourced from molasses, which is a by-product of the sugar industry. It can also be created using farm waste and food grains. The government aims to achieve multiple benefits by making ethanol-based vehicles mainstream.

India remains one of the largest importers of crude oil and this results in a large outflow of foreign exchange. Secondly, when compared to fossil fuel vehicles, the usage of ethanol will bring emissions down. Also, increased consumption of ethanol is expected to benefit the agriculture sector in the country.

(With agency inputs)