The government has issued a draft notification proposing amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, updating technical fuel classifications under emission and type-approval standards to reflect higher ethanol and biofuel blending targets.CNBC-TV18 had first reported on April 22 that India may move beyond E20, with the government likely to allow structured testing of higher ethanol blends ranging from E85 to E100.
The latest draft now formally incorporates those fuel categories into regulatory definitions, signalling an early step toward that direction.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has proposed revisions across emission compliance tables, including updates to hydrogen, gasoline and biodiesel classifications.Key changes in draft notificationHydrogen fuel classification revised from “Hydrogen + CN” to “Hydrogen + CNG”Petrol standards updated from E10/E to E10/E20, aligning with E20 rolloutExplicit inclusion of E85 and E100 (100% ethanol) in regulatory frameworkBiodiesel references upgraded from B10 to B100Emission testing parameters and technical notations standardisedGross vehicle weight threshold raised from 3000 kg to 3500 kg in select category
The draft will remain open for public consultation for 30 days, after which the government will review feedback before finalising amendments.Policy backdrop: preparing for higher ethanol testingAs CNBC-TV18 had reported earlier, the proposed move is not an immediate rollout of higher ethanol blends but a regulatory step to enable testing and evaluation.Sources had indicated that discussions were underway with automakers and oil marketing companies to assess flex-fuel readiness and infrastructure requirements for E85–E100 blends.A senior Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas official had earlier said stakeholder consultations were ongoing, describing ethanol blending as a key import-substitution strategy with broad industry alignment.Countries such as Brazil already use E100 in flex-fuel ecosystems, while the US offers E85 at select stations for compatible vehicles. India’s draft framework suggests early steps toward similar experimentation, even as E20 remains the current nationwide focus.
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