Hero MotoCorp and Maruti Suzuki Launch India's First Flex-Fuel Vehicles

Between June 3 and June 4, 2026, Hero MotoCorp and Maruti Suzuki launched India's first mass-market flex-fuel vehicles in New Delhi. Hero MotoCorp introduced flex-fuel versions of its Splendor+ and HF Deluxe motorcycles, the first in the 100cc segment, capable of running on ethanol blends from E20 to E85. These models are priced at Rs 82,710 and Rs 72,792 respectively, with deliveries starting in July 2026 in Delhi and Maharashtra.

Following this, Maruti Suzuki launched the WagonR Flex Fuel, India's first flex-fuel passenger vehicle. The car features a modified 1.2-litre engine and an advanced engine control unit allowing it to operate on blends from E20 to E100, though it is currently homologated for E85. The top-spec ZXI+ MT FFV variant is priced at ₹7.24 lakh, approximately ₹85,000 to ₹86,000 more than the standard petrol model.

Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Hardeep Singh Puri attended both launches, framing the initiatives as critical to India's energy security and its goal to reduce economic carbon intensity by 45% by 2030. To support adoption, the government plans to establish 50 to 100 ethanol dispensing stations across the Delhi-NCR and Mumbai-Pune-Nagpur corridors by December 2026. Additionally, Minister Gadkari announced a pilot project for hydrogen-powered buses and trucks on 10 roads in partnership with Reliance Industries and Tata Group.