Toyota Flex-Fuel version Camry Sedan to Launch on September 28: Nitin Gadkari

Nitin Gadkari has said at the Annual Convention of SIAM that he will be launching Toyota Flex-fuel vehicle on September 28th. He said, “On September 28, I am going to launch a Toyota Flex-Fuel vehicle that will run on Ethanol.”

The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has announced that Toyota will launch a flex-fuel version of the Camry sedan in India on September 28, 2022. Gadkari initially announced on World EV Day (September 9) that a flex-fuel Toyota vehicle would be released on September 28. “On September 28, I am going to launch a Toyota Flex-Fuel vehicle that will run on Ethanol," said Nitin Gadkari while addressing the 62nd Annual Convention of Society of Indian Automotive Manufacturers' (SIAM).

When asked about the same to Toyota Kirloskar Motors to confirm this information, but the company has stated that it will not comment on the matter. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's announcement was neither confirmed nor denied. At the moment, no technical details or other specifications of the vehicle are known; however, if launched as planned, it will be India's first flex-fuel vehicle.

A flex-fuel engine is an internal combustion engine (ICE), but unlike a gasoline or diesel-powered vehicle, it can run on more than one type of fuel or a fuel mixture. The most common version combines gasoline with ethanol or methanol; however, flex-fuel engines can run entirely on gasoline or ethanol. These engines are outfitted with a fuel composition sensor and ECU programming that automatically adjusts for any ratio. Flex-Fuel vehicles are already on the market in countries such as Brazil, the United States, and Canada.

The Minister has been urging automakers to use or incorporate natural gas alternatives such as methanol and ethanol, which are less polluting.

For a long time, the Indian government has advocated for alternative fuel and flex-fuel technology. Gadkari previously advised automakers in December 2021 to begin developing and manufacturing flex-fuel vehicles that meet BS6 emission standards within six months. The Minister has been urging Indian automakers to use or incorporate natural gas alternatives such as methanol and ethanol, which are less polluting. Furthermore, Gadkari intends to make flex engines that can run on more than one fuel mandatory in India.