A car that does not need petrol and could have a running cost equivalent to petrol priced at around Rs 25 per litre is set to become the latest symbol of India’s push towards alternative fuels.

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said Toyota’s 100 per cent ethanol-powered Innova will be launched in October, describing the vehicle as a major step towards expanding the use of ethanol as an alternative to conventional petrol.

Speaking at an event, Gadkari said he had been invited to the launch of Toyota’s ethanol-powered Innova and claimed that the vehicle would not require petrol.

According to the minister, its running cost would be comparable to that of a petrol-powered car using fuel priced at around Rs 25 per litre.

‘Ethanol is being used in 19 countries in the world and today no complaint is coming from any vehicle in India,’ Gadkari said, according to Business Today.

He added that he had been invited to the October launch of Toyota’s Innova, which he said would run on 100 per cent flex fuel.

Gadkari also claimed that the vehicle would generate 60 per cent electricity while running, adding another dimension to the government’s pitch for alternative-fuel mobility.

The announcement comes at a time when India’s ethanol policy remains a subject of public and political discussion. Under the country’s E20 programme, petrol is blended with up to 20 per cent ethanol.

Questions have been raised by sections of the public and lawmakers over whether higher ethanol blending could affect vehicle mileage, engine performance and long-term maintenance.

The government, however, has maintained that it has not received widespread or confirmed complaints from vehicle manufacturers, automobile associations or consumer groups regarding the impact of E20 on mileage, engine health or maintenance costs.

It has also cited laboratory studies and field trials examining engine durability and material compatibility as part of its case for the blending programme.

Gadkari reiterated that there had been no complaints from vehicles using ethanol-blended fuel in India.

Toyota’s proposed ethanol-only Innova comes as Indian automakers increasingly explore vehicles capable of running on higher ethanol blends.

In June, Maruti Suzuki launched what was described as the country’s first flex-fuel passenger car.

Unlike a conventional petrol vehicle, flex-fuel vehicles are designed to operate on different combinations of petrol and ethanol.

They can run on blends ranging from E20 to pure ethanol, allowing them to use varying fuel compositions depending on availability.

The proposed Toyota Innova takes that transition further by being designed to operate on 100 per cent ethanol rather than conventional petrol.

Gadkari’s comments therefore place the vehicle at the centre of India’s wider effort to expand alternative fuels while the debate around E20 continues.

For consumers, however, the headline figure is the minister’s claim that running the vehicle could be comparable to using petrol priced at around Rs 25 per litre, potentially making fuel economics a key selling point for ethanol-powered mobility.