Toyota has showcased the Corolla Altis Hybrid – its pilot project to test flex-fuel-powered cars in India. The car, which also runs on ethanol, was unveiled by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari.  

• Corolla Altis Hybrid unveiled in India can run on ethanol-blended fuel
• Current-gen Toyota Corolla not on sale in India

The Corolla Altis Hybrid is already on sale in markets like Brazil where the car is tuned to use ethanol-blended fuel (E85). It also gets Toyota’s full-hybrid technology, which is seen in vehicles like the Camry and the Urban Cruiser Hyryder in India, among a few others. Last month, we had reported that the car that will be showcased here as the tech-demonstrator for flex-fuel will be the Corolla hybrid and not the Camry. 

Will the Corolla Hybrid flex-fuel be India’s first ethanol-powered car?

Sources tell us that the model being used for testing is a left-hand-drive unit. The Corolla hybrid shown today will be more of a technology demonstrator for the brand, similar to the hydrogen-powered Mirai that Toyota showcased in India earlier this year. 

What is a flex-fuel vehicle?

A vehicle equipped with a flex-fuel engine can run on more than one type of fuel, and also a mixture. Such an engine is capable of automatically adjusting to any ratio, thanks to modifications like a fuel composition sensor and suitable ECU programming. Flex-fuel engines are capable of running on 100 percent petrol or ethanol and are already available in countries such as Brazil, the USA and Canada. 

India already has ethanol-blended petrol with a doping level of about 10 percent. Last year, the government brought forward its target by two years – from 2025 to 2023 – to produce 20 percent ethanol-blended petrol (E20).