E85 Fuel:
The Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas launched E85 fuel at an IndianOil retail outlet in New Delhi.
- E85 Fuel is a high-ethanol blended fuel comprising 80–85 per cent ethanol and 14–19 per cent petrol, specifically designed for use in flex-fuel vehicles.
- The initiative aims to facilitate the adoption of Flex-Fuel Vehicles (FFVs), which are capable of operating on ethanol blends from E20 to E100, without restricting consumers to a single blend.
- E85 is priced lower than conventional petrol to ensure that the economic benefits of domestically produced ethanol are passed on to consumers.
- Flex-fuel vehicles operating on E85 can reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by around 61 per cent compared to conventional petrol vehicles.
- With a Research Octane Number (RON) of about 108, ethanol offers superior knock resistance that allows engines to operate at higher compression ratios and optimized ignition timing.
- Higher ethanol blends promote cleaner and more complete combustion, resulting in near-zero particulate matter emissions contributing to improved urban air quality.
