Maruti Suzuki showcases Wagon R flex fuel as India expands E85 plans

The Wagon R flex fuel can run on ethanol blends up to E85 and is technically compatible with fuel blends ranging from E20 to E100

Automobile major Maruti Suzuki on Thursday showcased the production-spec version of its Wagon R flex fuel vehicle, becoming the first automaker in India to commercially roll out a car compatible with high ethanol-blended fuel. The Wagon R flex fuel, which can run on ethanol blends up to E85 and is technically compatible with fuel blends ranging from E20 to E100, has currently been introduced only for commercial fleet operations. The company, however, has not disclosed pricing or detailed technical specifications of the model. 

This comes as the Centre, in February, notified that oil companies would be required to sell petrol blended with up to 20 per cent ethanol and with a minimum Research Octane Number (RON) of 95 across all states and Union Territories. The rule came into effect from April 1 as part of the government’s broader strategy to reduce crude oil imports and expand alternative fuel adoption. 

 

While Toyota and Tata Motors have previously showcased flex fuel vehicles in India, Maruti Suzuki is the first company to take such a passenger vehicle into production. In 2022, Toyota showcased a Corolla flex fuel vehicle and later displayed the Innova Hycross flex fuel at the Bharat Mobility Show 2024, while Tata Motors had also unveiled a flex fuel version of the Punch at the same event.

Ethanol push and infrastructure challenge

 

The production-spec Wagon R flex fuel uses Maruti Suzuki’s 1.2-litre K12N petrol engine with modifications to support higher ethanol blends, including upgraded fuel injectors and fuel pumps, revised fuel lines, a recalibrated engine control unit (ECU), and an ethanol sensor that detects the ethanol content in the fuel. The automaker has not disclosed power output or fuel efficiency figures for the vehicle. 

This development also comes on the same day when Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said India aims to have 500 E85 fuel dispensing stations by the end of this year and around 5,000 such stations across major cities by the end of 2027.   READ | Flex-fuel can help India cut oil imports, emissions: Maruti Suzuki CEO 

He said, “In the beginning, we will have about 50-100 dispensing stations in the Delhi-NCR and Mumbai-Pune-Nagpur corridor. This will expand to 500 stations by December this year, and god willing, up to approximately 5,000 stations across major Indian cities by the end of next year.” He also added that the price of E85 fuel will be significantly lower than the current E20 petrol. 

Bhargava bats for biogas incentives

Separately, Maruti Suzuki Chairman R C Bhargava also pitched last month for stronger policy support for vehicles powered by biogas, arguing that they should receive greater incentives than hybrids because they can deliver net-zero carbon emissions. He said compressed biogas (CBG), which can be used as an alternative to CNG in vehicles, has significant untapped potential in India but has failed to scale due to inadequate incentives for investment in biogas production plants. 

“Biogas has not taken off at all in the country despite its immense potential because there is no incentivisation for companies to invest in plants that convert easily available agricultural waste into biogas,” Bhargava had told Business Standard earlier. He added that vehicles running on biogas should receive GST incentives and concessions under fuel-efficiency norms, and highlighted that biogas production generates organic manure that can support agriculture.