New Delhi:
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday emphasised on the roll-out of flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) in the Indian auto market within a year.
Gadkari also appealed to vehicle manufacturers to compulsorily provide a minimum of six airbags across all variants and segments of a vehicle.
"Met a delegation of CEOs of SIAM (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers) in New Delhi today. Emphasised on the need for a quick roll-out of Flex-Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) capable of running on 100% ethanol and gasoline into the Indian auto market within a year's time," the minister said in a tweet.
"In the interest of passenger safety, I have also appealed all private vehicle manufacturers to compulsorily provide a minimum of 6 airbags across all variants and segments of the vehicle," he added.
According to an official statement, the minister met a delegation of CEOs from the Society of India Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) comprising private, commercial and two-wheeler automobile manufacturers.
" The delegation presented an update of the auto industry's status and requested for Deferment of emission-based regulations such as BS-6 phase 2, CAF Phase 2 among others such as OBD regulations for two-wheelers," the statement said.
According to the statement, the minister congratulated the OEMs for performing well on the front of vehicle-engineering.
Blending of biodiesel in diesel is less than 0.1 pc: Centre
The present percentage of blending of biodiesel in diesel is less than 0.1 per cent, the government informed the Lok Sabha on Monday and noted that National Policy on Biofuels, 2018 prescribes as indicative target of 5 per cent blending of biodiesel in diesel by 2030. Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Rameshwar Teli said in a written reply that the government has taken various steps towards achieving 20 per cent blending of ethanol in petrol.
These include allowing use of sugarcane and foodgrains (maize and surplus stocks of rice with Food Corporation of India) for conversion to ethanol, administered price mechanism for procurement of ethanol under EBP Programme including the enhanced ex-mill price of ethanol year-on-year from ethanol supply year 2017.
The measures also include lowering GST rate to 5 per cent on ethanol for EBP Programme, amending Industries (Development & Regulation) Act for free movement of ethanol, interest subvention scheme for enhancement and augmentation of ethanol production capacity in the country.
He said the average ethanol blending percentage in petrol for the ethanol supply year 2020-21 is eight per cent as on July 26 this year.
"The present percentage of blending of biodiesel in diesel is less than 0.1 per cent. The National Policy on Biofuels, 2018, prescribes as indicative target of 5 per cent blending of biodiesel in diesel by 2030," he said.
The minister said that availability of biodiesel has been low in the last few years due to the increase of price and non-availability of feedstock for biodiesel. Some biodiesel is also being marketed by agencies other than oil marketing companies.
"To increase the supply of biodiesel in the country, OMCs are regularly floating Expression of Interest (EoI) to encourage the production of biodiesel from used cooking oil," he said.