Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that Toyota is set to introduce an Innova capable of running on 100% ethanol. Speaking at an event in Delhi, Gadkari said he had been invited to the launch of the Toyota Innova flex-fuel vehicle in October. He highlighted the vehicle as part of India’s broader push towards alternative fuels and reduced dependence on conventional petrol.
According to Gadkari, the vehicle will be capable of operating entirely on ethanol instead of petrol. He also said its running economics could be equivalent to those of a petrol-powered car using fuel priced at around ₹25 per litre. The ₹25 figure is therefore a comparison of the vehicle’s running cost and should not be interpreted as the retail price of ethanol.
The upcoming Toyota vehicle is based on the company’s electrified flex-fuel technology. Toyota had previously unveiled an Innova HyCross-based prototype combining a flex-fuel engine with an electric powertrain. The company said the technology is designed to address ethanol’s lower energy density by combining high ethanol utilisation with electric assistance and improved fuel efficiency.
Toyota’s earlier prototype was designed to run on higher ethanol blends beyond E20 and was developed to meet India’s BS6 Stage II emission requirements. Toyota also explained that, under specific test conditions, the strong-hybrid system could operate in electric mode for around 60% of the time, helping improve fuel efficiency while increasing the use of ethanol as a transport fuel.
The development comes as India continues to expand its ethanol-blending and flex-fuel vehicle ecosystem. E20 petrol, containing up to 20% ethanol, has been part of the country’s fuel transition, while flex-fuel vehicles are designed to accommodate higher ethanol blends. Gadkari has also continued to promote ethanol as a domestically produced fuel and has linked its wider use with agricultural opportunities and lower dependence on imported fossil fuels.
The proposed 100% ethanol Innova represents a further step in the development of electrified flex-fuel technology in India. While Gadkari has spoken about an October launch, the timing and final specifications of the production vehicle should be confirmed through Toyota’s official launch communication. The vehicle, if introduced as described, could add another option to India’s growing portfolio of alternative-fuel technologies.
