Carmakers split over relief to flex-fuel, strong hybrids

Both technologies, if combined, may narrow EVs’ emission edge

- DEEPAK PATEL

Major electric vehicle (EV) makers have raised strong objections during internal industry discussions over the proposed Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) norms, arguing that the Bureau of Energy Efficiency’s (BEE) revised draft offers undue advantages to flex-fuel and strong hybrid cars.

When both technologies are combined in a single model, according to them, the numerical benefits compound, allowing such vehicles to display carbon dioxide (CO,) emissions far closer to that of EVs in compliance calculations.

EV manufacturers point out that converting a regular petrol car into a flex-fuel vehicle requires only about ₹17,000-25,000 per unit, according to a NITI Aayog report from June 2021, whereas developing an EV demands vastly greater investments in research, battery development, and localisation.

“These relaxations in draft CAFE norms for strong hybrids and flex fuel effectively reduce the compliance gap between EVs and other powertrains. That makes it harder to justify the capital-intensive transition to full-electric technology,” said an executive at a major EV maker.

If a fuel blend contains at least 85 per cent ethanol along with petrol, it is classified as flex fuel. The CAFE framework sets average carbon dioxide emission targets that each automaker’s fleet must meet, measured in grams of CO, per kilometre (g/km) for every model sold.