27th June 2023: Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, has been promoting electric vehicle culture in India in order to encourage green mobility. The minister recently spoke at an event in Nagpur on the future plans for ethanol-powered automobiles.
During the event, Gadkari stated that the country will soon have vehicles that run entirely on ethanol. While breaking the news, he also stated that Toyota is preparing to convert the Camry into a 100% ethanol-powered vehicle, which would be available in the Indian market in August.
While speaking to the audience, the minister also disclosed that two-wheeler manufacturers such as TVS, Bajaj, and Hero are not far behind, and will soon produce scooters that will operate entirely on ethanol.
He said, “If you compare ethanol with petrol, it will be Rs 15 per litre of petrol because ethanol’s rate is Rs 60 while the rate of petrol is Rs 120 per litre. Plus it would generate 40 per cent of electricity. The average cost of ethanol would be Rs 15 per litre.”
During the event, Gadkari also discussed his conversation with the head of Mercedes-Benz. According to the minister, the company outlined its future intentions for electric vehicles. He informed him that the luxury automaker will only produce electric vehicles in the future.
Meanwhile, Gadkari recently spoke at an auto show on making air conditioning a required feature in truck cabins. The minister verified signing a paper requiring air conditioning in truck driver cabins.
He explained that the choice was made to improve the well-being of those who operate the vehicle despite the high temperature in the cabin.
