Gadkari emphasises on roll-out of 'Flex-Fuel Vehicles' within a year

New Delhi: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday held a meeting with the automobile manufacturers in the country and emphasised the need for a quick roll-out of 'Flex-Fuel Vehicles within a year's time.

Gadkari gave the call at a meeting on Tuesday with a delegation of CEOs from the Society of India Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) comprising of private, commercial and two-wheeler automobile Manufacturers.

"Gadkari emphasised on the need for a quick roll-out of Flex-Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) capable of running on 100 per cent ethanol and gasoline into the Indian auto market within a year's time, vis-a-vis successful available technologies in Brazil and the US " the ministry said in a statement.

"The delegation presented an update of the auto industry's status and requested for deferment of emission-based regulations such as 'BS-6 phase 2', 'CAFE Phase 2' among others such as 'OBD' regulations for two-wheelers," the statement added.

In technical parlance, FFVs are capable of running on 100 per cent ethanol and gasoline.

In addition,the minister also appealed to all private vehicle manufacturers to compulsorily provide a minimum of six airbags across all variants and segments of the vehicle, in the interest of passenger safety

" The requests of SIAM are currently under consideration and a follow-up meeting may be organised within a fortnight" statement said.