What are Flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs)?

The government of India may soon ask the auto companies in India to manufacture the passenger and commercial vehicles that run on the multiple fuel configuration with the aim of reducing the use of polluting fossil fuels and cutting down the harmful emissions.

Highlights

In the line, the government is actively looking up after the use of “Flexible Fuel Vehicles” which will ensure the increased use of the bio-fuels to run the vehicles. Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) are the modified version of the vehicles which can run both on the gasoline and the doped petrol with varying levels of ethanol blends. These vehicles are currently being used in Brazil successfully. FFVs gives people the option to switch the fuel based in the price and convenience. Majority of the vehicles sold in Brazil are FFVs.

Flexible-fuel vehicle (FFV)

It is also called as the “dual-fuel vehicle” or a flex-fuel vehicle. FFV is an alternative fuel vehicle which comprises of the internal combustion engine which run on more than one fuel. It usually run on the gasoline blended with either ethanol or methanol fuel. Both of the fuels are stored in same common tank. The engines of the vehicle are capable of burning any proportion of the resulting blend in its combustion chamber. The fuel injection and spark timing are automatically adjusted in accordance with the actual blend detected by the fuel composition sensor. The FFV is different from the bi-fuel vehicles. In the bi-fuel vehicle, two fuels are stored in the separate tanks and engine runs on one fuel at a time.

Advantages of FFVs in India

In India, the FFVs will present a different advantage because the vehicles will allow the vehicles to use the different blends of ethanol mixed petrol which are available across the country as opposed to the current regulation. The current regulation allows to mix up to 10 percent ethanol in petrol. But due to shortage in supply & other transportation challenges, 10 percent blended petrol is available only across 15 states. The FFVs would be allowing the vehicles to use all the blends and would run on unblended fuel as well.

Month: Current Affairs - March, 2021