Hero MotoCorp, India's leading two-wheeler manufacturer by volume, is set to unveil its inaugural flex-fuel motorcycle on June 3. This highly anticipated launch marks a significant milestone as the new model will be the first in India capable of running entirely on 100% ethanol.
Currently, other flex-fuel motorcycles available in the Indian market, such as the Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 and Honda CB 300F, are designed to operate on E85, a blend containing up to 85% ethanol. Hero MotoCorp's upcoming offering surpasses this, providing a full ethanol fuel option.
Boosting Energy Independence with Flex-Fuel
Harshavardhan Chitale, CEO of Hero MotoCorp, emphasized the company's commitment to supporting government initiatives for rapidly expanding flex-fuel vehicle adoption. "We support the government’s call to rapidly accelerate the introduction of flex fuel vehicles," Chitale stated in an interview. He highlighted the industry's readiness, noting that manufacturers can swiftly introduce flex-fuel products once the fuel becomes widely available at petrol pumps.
The push for increased biofuel content in the energy mix is seen as a crucial strategy for India to achieve energy resilience and self-reliance, or 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'. Chitale explained that while electric vehicles (EVs) are vital for clean mobility, they face limitations in supply chain resilience and dependency on specific countries. He argued that India's capacity to scale up flex-fuel vehicle production far exceeds its ability to penetrate the market with electric mobility.
The Green Advantage of Ethanol
For Hero MotoCorp, ethanol-powered vehicles offer a rapid and environmentally sound path to sustainable transportation. "For EVs, we need to solve many other ecosystem challenges, whereas with ethanol, the industry can move very rapidly to flex fuel vehicles. That is very green from cradle to grave point of view. And from an energy independence point of view, totally Atmanirbhar," Chitale added.
While the specific name of the motorcycle to be launched on June 3 remains undisclosed, flex-fuel versions of Hero's popular HF Deluxe and Splendor models have already received regulatory approval. This suggests that the company is well-prepared to integrate this technology across its diverse product portfolio, aligning with the government's impetus to oil marketing companies to make flex-fuel widely accessible.