There has been a stir in the Indian automobile market regarding eco-friendly and pocket-friendly flex-fuel technology. Hero MotoCorp, the country’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, has launched its first flex-fuel motorcycle in the Indian market on June 3. Hero has introduced flex-fuel variants of Splendor Plus and HF Deluxe. In such a situation, the question in people’s mind is what is a flex-fuel bike? How different is it from the Norlam bike and can it really reduce petrol expenses? Let us understand.
How different is a flex-fuel bike from a normal petrol bike?
Generally, the normal bikes running on our roads run completely on 100% petrol. But this new flex-fuel technology bike of Hero can run easily on a mixture of normal petrol as well as ethanol. The engine of this bike is so advanced that you can use ethanol from 20 percent to 100 percent (E100) in it. This means that even if you have to completely replace petrol with ethanol, this bike will give smooth performance without any interruption.
3 special changes made in flex-fuel engine
If ethanol is poured directly into a normal engine, there is a risk of rusting and deteriorating performance. For this reason, Hero MotoCorp has made special technical upgrades in these variants of Splendor Plus and HF Deluxe:
- smart fuel sensor: A special fuel composition sensor has been installed in its engine, which automatically senses the ratio of petrol and ethanol in the fuel tank and adjusts the engine settings accordingly.
- Anti-Corrosive Coating: Ethanol contains slight moisture, which can damage pipes and tanks. To prevent this, special coating has been done on the internal parts of the fuel pump, injectors and fuel tank of the bike.
- Advanced ECU: To control the engine heating and spark plug timing, it has been provided with a new generation Engine Control Unit (ECU) software.
What will be the biggest benefit to the general public?
- Splendor and HF Deluxe are known for their excellent mileage. Even with the flex-fuel engine, the company has claimed to maintain their mileage and pickup.
- Ethanol is a completely eco-friendly fuel, which is made from sugarcane and grain residues. This reduces carbon emissions significantly, which will free cities from pollution.
Will the cost of petrol be halved?
Flex-fuel bike will not reduce the cost of petrol by half, but some of the disadvantages of e-20 petrol in a normal bike can be avoided. Let us tell you that the government has made e-20 petrol mandatory in all petrol pumps across the country. Ethanol is prepared by the farmers of our country from sugarcane and grains, hence the country’s economy will also benefit from it.
SK Sharma is a content writer who writes on news, entertainment, and lifestyle topics. She has over four years of experience and is known for conveying information in simple and clear language.
