Hero MotoCorp on Wednesday launched flex-fuel versions of its bestselling Splendor+ and HF Deluxe motorcycles, signalling a broader push into ethanol-based mobility as the company prepares to extend the technology across its entire product portfolio over the next one to two years.
The company launched the Splendor+ Flex Fuel at ₹82,810 (ex-showroom) and the HF Deluxe Flex Fuel at ₹72,792 (ex-showroom), making them among the first mass-market commuter motorcycles in India capable of running on ethanol blends ranging from E20 to E85.
Speaking at the launch, Hero MotoCorp Chief Executive Officer Harshavardhan Chitale said the company is ready to roll out flex-fuel technology across all its motorcycle models as India’s ethanol supply chain and retail infrastructure expand.
“As ethanol linkage keeps growing and as more availability happens, we are ready to bring all our models with flex-fuel technology in a matter of one or two years, depending on how the linkage grows,” Chitale said.
The launch comes as the government intensifies efforts to promote ethanol as an alternative transportation fuel to reduce crude oil imports and lower vehicular emissions.
Hero MotoCorp Chief Business Officer Ashutosh Varma said the flex-fuel motorcycles offer significant environmental benefits compared with conventional petrol-powered models.
According to the company, carbon monoxide (CO) emissions are reduced by 77%, total hydrocarbon emissions by 14%, and non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) emissions by 40%.
Varma said the flex-fuel variants currently carry a price premium of around 4% over their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts, but the gap is expected to narrow soon as volumes increase and the ecosystem matures.
Meanwhile, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said pricing details for E85 fuel would be announced shortly and indicated that it would be cheaper than conventional petrol.
“E85 fuel will be used for vehicles compliant with E85. It will be substantially cheaper than normal fuel,” Puri said at the launch event.
Both motorcycles are powered by Hero’s 97.2cc single-cylinder, air-cooled engine, which has been extensively re-engineered to operate on higher ethanol blends. Compared with the standard petrol-powered versions, the flex-fuel models deliver 7% higher power and 3% higher torque.
To enable compatibility with ethanol blends of up to 85%, Hero has incorporated a range of engineering changes, including a redesigned fuel pump capable of handling E85 fuel, an additional fuel filter for cleaner circulation to the fuel-injection system, and a recalibrated electronic control unit (ECU) that automatically adjusts fuel delivery according to the ethanol content in the fuel tank.
The company said a total of 36 components have been modified to ensure durability, performance and seamless operation across varying ethanol blends.
