Toyota has launched a pilot project on Flexi-Fuel Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technology (FFV-SHEV) in Delhi today, unveiling the Corolla Altis FFV-SHEV, imported from Toyota Brazil.
This initiative is Toyota’s first step towards promoting and creating awareness of Ethanol as an important indigenous, carbon-neutral energy pathway, along with the advanced Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicle technology of Toyota that can help India achieve Carbon Net-Zero by 2070.
Further, as a part of this project, the collected data will be shared with the Indian Institute of Science for conducting a study about the well-to-wheel carbon emissions of FFV / FFV-SHEV in the Indian context. In this regard, a Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
Ethanol is a clean energy source that can significantly reduce fossil fuel consumption, the energy import bill, and carbon emissions. Being agriculture-based, higher use of ethanol as fuel will also increase farmer incomes and open doors for new jobs, helping grow the rural economy. The Government has recently launched second-generation technologies for producing ethanol from agricultural residues like parali, which is currently otherwise burnt.
India has already achieved 10 per cent ethanol blending five months ahead of schedule. The implementation of 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol by 2025-26 is expected to substitute 86 million barrels of Gasoline, leading to forex savings of Rs 30,000 crores for India, as well as reducing 10 million tons of carbon emissions.
An FFV– SHEV has a flexi fuel engine and an electric powertrain, providing the dual benefit of higher ethanol use and greater fuel efficiency, as it can run for significant periods in EV mode, with the engine shut off.
