New Delhi. E20 petrol with 20% ethanol blend has been introduced in India, but the engines of old vehicles are not made for this variant of petrol. Therefore E20 petrol cannot be put in them. Its solution also exists in the world. Many countries have made Ethanol Conversion Kit, by installing which your old car can also run on 100% ethanol (E100) without changing the engine. This kit is also being tested in India and initial results show that it is effective.

Indian Sugar and Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) has conducted a special study in collaboration with IIT Delhi. For this testing, the ‘eFlexFuel’ kit manufactured in Finland has been installed in two different old vehicles. A kit was installed on BS4 Maruti Swift. By installing this, the car was driven for 10,500 kilometers on E15 to E100 fuel. BS6 Maruti Dezire was tested for 14,250 kilometers by installing eFlex fuel kit.

How does an ethanol conversion kit work?

The special thing about the ethanol conversion kit is that it does not require any major changes in the main engine or ECU of the car. This kit is equipped with an advanced sensor which automatically detects the exact amount of ethanol present in the fuel tank. Based on the signal from the sensor, this part automatically adjusts the fuel supply of the vehicle. Due to this, the vehicle runs smoothly on different fuel mixtures without any jerk.

What was the impact on engine and mileage?

Even after driving these two vehicles for thousands of kilometers on 100% ethanol by installing the ethanol conversion kit, there was no significant negative impact.

• There was no negative impact on performance and pickup.
• There was no problem in the car’s mileage, starting and braking system.
• The overall health and life of the engine was found to be completely safe.

How much does an ethanol conversion kit cost?

ISMA Director General Deepak Balani says that these ethanol conversion kits are very expensive on the international online marketplace and their price ranges between ₹ 40,000 to ₹ 60,000. The kit from Finland used in testing is worth ₹ 45,000. Balani says that if these kits are manufactured on a large scale in India, their cost can come down to just ₹ 15,000.

Government approval required for commercial launch

This technology to convert old petrol vehicles into flex-fuel vehicles is not yet available in the Indian market for common customers. According to Deepak Balani, the final green signal is yet to be received from regulatory agencies, automobile testing institutions and vehicle manufacturers before launching the indigenous kits for commercial use. ISMA has demanded from the government that a clear framework should be prepared in this regard soon.