Overview
- The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways notified amendments that were published in the Official Gazette on October 26, 2026, replacing references to E85 with “E85 or E100” in emission and testing provisions to allow type approval of E100‑capable flex‑fuel vehicles.
- MoRTH and officials say E85 and E100 are allowed only in vehicles specially designed and certified as flex‑fuel, and the notification does not require owners of existing petrol or E20 vehicles to switch fuels or modify their cars.
- Automakers including Maruti Suzuki, which launched the Wagon R Flex Fuel in June, have models or development programmes for high‑ethanol vehicles but early sales and registrations remain very low and consumer demand has been limited so far.
- The Petroleum Ministry has started limited E85 dispensing and plans to expand retail availability to about 500 pumps by December 2026 and roughly 5,000 by December 2027, a scale that industry says is needed before E100 can be widely used.
- Officials and industry point to potential benefits for oil‑import reduction and lower lifecycle carbon intensity, but uptake will depend on separate storage/dispensing to avoid contamination, clear procurement and tax signals, and answers to consumer concerns raised during the E20 rollout.