Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announces plan to launch ethanol-powered vehicles in India by August

The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has announced plans to introduce vehicles that will only run on ethanol as fuel.

The chairman of Mercedes Benz addressed Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, at a meeting in Nagpur, about the company's future focus on manufacturing exclusively electric vehicles. Gadkari emphasised this encounter and the chairman's declaration that they would only produce electric vehicle in the coming years. 

The minister added that Bajaj, TVS and Hero scooters will run 100 per cent on ethanol. 

The minister announced plans to introduce the Toyota Camry car in August, which will run exclusively on ethanol and generate 40% of its own electricity.

 He stated that the cost of ethanol at Rs 60 per litre would make the average price down to Rs 15 per litre when compared to the price of petrol, which is  Rs 120 per litre.

Recently, Gadkari also stated that truck manufacturers will soon be required to install air conditioning units inside the driver cabins.

 “Before coming to this event today, I have signed the file that mandates air conditioning in truck driver compartments. We must ensure that people who drive the trucks are well taken of," Nitin Gadkari said at an auto industry event recently. 

"Our drivers operate vehicles in harsh temperatures of 43...47 degrees and we must imagine the condition of drivers. I was keen to introduce the AC cabin after I became a minister. But some people opposed it saying the cost of trucks will go up. Today, I have signed the file that all truck cabins will be AC cabins," he had said addressing the event called 'Desh Chaalak - Recognising those who move India' organised by Mahindra Logistics.

Moreover, Gadkari also acknowledged the lack of drivers in India, which forced truckers to work long shifts of 14 to 16 hours per day. He added that restrictions governing the limitations of truckers' duration have regulations in other countries.  However, the minister did not provide a deadline for the introduction of trucks with air-conditioned cabins. As per certain reports, the implementation is expected to commence in 2025.

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