Pariksha SaathiMoRTH amends the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 to facilitate E85/E100 flex fuel vehicles
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has notified amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 to support the adoption of flex fuel vehicles capable of using E85 and other high ethanol fuels, the Ministry said on 26 October 2026. The amendments update the emission certification provisions by expressly including E100 alongside E85, and vehicles certified for these fuels must meet the emission and safety requirements applicable to their category. E85 is a petrol and ethanol blend containing up to 85 per cent ethanol by volume: the letter E denotes ethanol and the number its proportion in the fuel. The Ministry said E85/E100 is intended only for vehicles specifically designed and certified to use it, that a vehicle's compatibility with E10 or E20 alone does not establish suitability for E85, and that owners of existing vehicles are not required to switch to E85 or modify their vehicles. Flex fuel technology is already used in countries such as Brazil and the United States. The notification also updates biodiesel-related provisions, and the rules take effect from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
Drafted with AI assistance from the official PIB release linked above and checked against it by a second AI pass. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
The National Policy on Biofuels - 2018 was notified by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in 2018, superseding the National Policy on Biofuels of 2009 promulgated through the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy. On 18 May 2022 the Union Cabinet approved amendments to it which advanced the target of 20% blending of ethanol in petrol to ESY 2025-26 from 2030, allowed more feedstocks for the production of biofuels, and added new members to the National Biofuel Coordination Committee (NBCC).
Reference: PIB, 'Cabinet approves Amendments to the National Policy on Biofuels -2018', 18 May 2022
Check yourself: the 2022 amendments to the National Policy on Biofuels - 2018 advanced the target of 20% ethanol blending in petrol to which year, and from which year?
To ESY 2025-26, from 2030.
Revision task: from this release, note which rules were amended, what E85 means, which fuel was expressly added alongside E85 and which countries already use flex fuel technology; from the note, when the National Policy on Biofuels was notified and amended and the 20% blending target year.
Test yourself
According to MoRTH's release of 26 October 2026 on the amended Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, what is 'E85'?
Show the answer
Answer: A petrol and ethanol blend containing up to 85 per cent ethanol by volume
E85 is a petrol and ethanol blend containing up to 85 per cent ethanol by volume; the letter E denotes ethanol and the number indicates its proportion in the fuel. The amendments expressly include E100 alongside E85 in the emission certification provisions.
Read the daily collection → · Editorial standards & corrections