New Delhi, October 27: India has taken a formal step towards cars that run on nothing but ethanol. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has amended the Central Motor Vehicles Rules to recognise E100, fuel made up of 100 per cent ethanol, for use in flex-fuel vehicles.

The change has been notified. For automakers, it is the legal green light to design and sell vehicles built to run on pure ethanol. For motorists, it is more cautious news: the rules do not allow you to put E100 in the car you own today.

What exactly changed

The amendment was notified on October 23, 2026, published in the Gazette of India on October 26, and took effect on Monday, October 26. The central change is in Rule 115 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. Wherever the rules previously referred to E85, an 85 per cent ethanol blend, they now say “E85 or E100”. The change covers emission standards, fuel specifications and testing protocols.

An explanatory note has been added, saying that E85 or E100 shall be used in vehicles designed by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) as flex-fuel vehicles. The rules now also include E20 in the gasoline fuel references, and a related change in Rule 115E replaces a reference to Annexure S with Annexure SA for E100 vehicles.

The government first published the draft amendments on April 27, 2026, and invited public objections and suggestions for 30 days. Reports also mention a change raising a weight limit to 3,500 kg for some vehicle categories.

Who can use E100

Only vehicles engineered and certified as flex-fuel can run on E100 or E85. Conventional petrol cars and cars calibrated for E20 blends are not compatible with E100 because of differences in fuel density and the risk of corrosion of fuel-system materials. Putting pure ethanol in such a car could damage it.

That is why the amendment matters for manufacturers first. It gives the industry the regulatory clarity to launch models designed for high-ethanol fuel. Reports say Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, Tata and Hyundai are among the companies developing flex-fuel vehicles.

What is still unclear

The notification deals with rules, not the market. Several practical questions have not been answered in the reports I reviewed:

• Launch dates and prices: No manufacturer has announced when E100 vehicles will go on sale, or how much they will cost.
• Fuel supply: The government has not said when or where E100 will be sold at petrol pumps.
• Fuel price and mileage: Ethanol has lower energy content than petrol, so vehicles typically cover less distance per litre. How the pump price will compare is not yet known.

Why the government wants this

The push is tied to energy security and emissions. India imports most of its crude oil, and ethanol, made from domestic crops such as sugarcane and maize, is seen as a way to cut that dependence and lower tailpipe emissions. Reports link the timing to the West Asia conflict, which has left many countries, including India, exposed to energy shocks and has increased the importance of alternative fuels.

Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has long championed flex-fuel engines, arguing that ethanol is used in 19 countries and that vehicles in India have not generated complaints. Brazil, which runs a large share of its vehicles on hydrous ethanol or blends, is the usual comparison.

What it means for you

If you own a petrol car today, nothing changes: keep using the fuel recommended in your manual, which for newer cars is up to E20. If you are planning to buy a new car in the next few years, ask whether it is flex-fuel capable and where compatible fuel will be available.

What to watch

Which manufacturers announce E100 models first, when oil marketing companies begin selling E100 and at what price, and whether the government offers incentives to speed up adoption.

 

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