MoRTH amends rules to allow E85 and E100 ethanol fuel in flex-fuel vehicles

What the notification changes

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has notified an amendment to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, to formally bring E85 and E100 ethanol fuels into India's vehicle emission and certification framework. The notification, G.S.R. 911(E), was issued on 23 October 2026 and published in the Official Gazette on 26 October 2026, taking immediate effect.

The change is narrow and technical but significant for the flex-fuel segment. Rule 115 of the principal rules lists the fuels against which vehicles are certified. Under sub-rules 18, 19, 20 and 22, references to "E85" have been replaced with "E85 or E100". An explanatory note added under sub-rule 19 states that E85 or E100 shall be used only in vehicles that original equipment manufacturers have designed as flex-fuel vehicles. The same notification raises the gross vehicle weight threshold in the relevant heading from 3,000 kg to 3,500 kg, and changes the biodiesel entry from B10 to B100, extending the same logic to diesel blends.

Who this affects, and who it does not

This is not a rule that touches the petrol car or scooter already on Indian roads. The ministry has been explicit that owners of existing vehicles, including those running on E10 or E20 petrol, face no obligation to switch fuels or modify their vehicles now or later. E85 and E100 can only be used in vehicles that a manufacturer has specifically engineered and certified as flex-fuel, with ethanol-resistant fuel lines, tanks and engine control software tuned to sense and adjust for the blend in use.

For manufacturers, the amendment opens a regulatory pathway to certify flex-fuel models for the Indian market, something Toyota and a few others have already piloted with E85-capable Innova and Corolla variants under earlier rules. Buyers of any future E100-rated model will need to check the fuel compatibility sticker on the vehicle and follow the owner's manual before choosing fuel at the pump, since putting E100 into a non-flex-fuel engine can damage fuel system components not built for it.

Why the rule exists now

This final notification follows a draft version of the Central Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Rules that the ministry published on 27 April 2026, proposing to add E100 and B100 biodiesel alongside the existing E85 and B10 categories. The Grain Ethanol Manufacturers Association welcomed that draft at the time, calling it a signal that India was ready to move beyond its current E20 petrol blending programme toward higher ethanol fractions, a shift it said would expand demand for domestic ethanol and support farm incomes.

The amendment itself does not set a rollout date for E100 pumps or announce which car or two wheeler models will be certified first. It simply makes the legal space for such vehicles to exist and be type approved. For now, the practical effect in Indian showrooms is limited to manufacturers who choose to build flex-fuel variants and have them tested against the new rule. Everyday petrol car and bike owners can ignore the notification entirely and keep fuelling as before.

Sources

• Govt allows use of 100 pc ethanol fuel in flex-fuel vehicles, amends emission norms
• India Amends Vehicle Rules for E85 and E100 Flex-Fuel Vehicles
• MoRTH Draft Notification on E85, E100 and B100 Draws Welcome from Grain Ethanol Body
• Centre Updates Rules for E85, E100 Flex-Fuel Vehicles