Toyota Innova HyCross with Ethanol-powered BS6 Hybrid engine launched

Toyota Innova HyCross, the world’s first-ever prototype car that uses an ethanol-powered hybrid BS6 engine, was launched in India on Tuesday by Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) Nitin Gadkari. The new Innova uses ethanol, which is a renewable fuel obtained from agricultural waste such as barley, maize, corn, and sugarcane, to run the engine, as opposed to conventional fuels such as petrol and diesel. The new Toyota MPV is the latest achievement in the Indian government’s efforts to make the country carbon-neutral by 2070. The hybrid engine also provides an electric boost to the car, giving it as much power as a regular diesel-run engine.

“India can reach 20 percent Ethanol blending within three months as our ethanol manufacturers have that capacity. India can become the world’s number 1 producer of ethanol. My dream is to have all cars, two-wheelers, auto rickshaws running on 100 percent Ethanol, said Gadkari at the launch event.

𝐘𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲!

Launched the 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝'𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐒 𝟔 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐈𝐈 ‘𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐅𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐕𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞’,… pic.twitter.com/eRR1kM03Pb

— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) August 29, 2023

The blend of ethanol in the fuel not only makes it safer for the environment but also cost-efficient, as compared to other fossil fuels. It releases less tailpipe toxins into the ambient air and has a higher octane rating than petrol. That makes it suitable for giving the required power to the car’s engine. The ethanol blend is called Flex Fuel, which is increasingly becoming available across the country. Although flex fuel is slightly less efficient than conventional fuels, the lower cost makes up for the compromise, giving users satisfaction.

Innova Flex-Fuel

The new Innova is more or less the same as the existing ICE counterparts, especially in terms of looks, but Toyota has added a small badge to set it apart. It has a 2-litre 4-cylinder flex-fuel hybrid engine that can run on 100 percent ethanol, according to the company. However, the maximum permissibility is 93 percent, while the rest is the regular fuel. Since this is a hybrid engine, it also has a lithium-ion battery pack that can generate enough power to help the car run when switched to the EV mode. The company claims the engine can produce 181 bhp and offer a fuel economy of 23.24kmpl.

There is no information on when the new Toyota Innova HyCross will enter mass production, followed by a public launch.