Clean India: The Country Gets Its First 100% Ethanol Motorcycle And It's A Good Sign

In an effort to reduce its fuel imports, India is pushing electric vehicles as the better alternative for the IC engine vehicles. Somewhere in the midst of this transition, several involved stakeholders are working towards bringing alternate fuel vehicles to the mainstream too. TVS India is one of them now, having launched the country¡¯s first ever Ethanol based motorcycle - TVS Apache RTR 200 Fi E100.

Now before we learn about the bike, let us focus on the reason why it is here. Essentially, ethanol is the most practical replacement for petrol as we use it today. Why? Because it is domestically produced from renewable plant sources, like sugarcane molasses and alcohol remains from sugar factories. Another big plus and in relation to electric vehicles this time is that they do not require any additional infrastructure setup and instead, can be incorporated in the existing fuel pumps.

That being said, the primary reason to switch to Ethanol is that it produces much less emissions than conventional petrol, cutting them down by as much as 35% (CO). There is also a reduction in the emissions of hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter as well as sulphur dioxide.

TVS Apache RTR 200 Fi E100 (Image: Twitter/ Amitabh Kant)

Also read: Now A Car That Can Run On Petrol, Ethanol And Electricity At The Same Time

So now that we know why we need to switch to such a fuel, here is what TVS has to offer:

The new TVS Apache RTR 200 Fi E100 has been launched at a price or Rs 1.2 lakh (ex-showroom) and will be available in Maharashtra, UP and Karnataka. The motorcycle is an early concept vehicle that TVS showcased at the Auto Expo 2018.

The performance figures of the bike include 21 PS power output and 18.1 Nm torque, with a top speed of 129 kmph. With an ethanol drive train, the bike can run on 100 percent ethanol, with its Twin-Spray-Twin-Port EFI technology. Does not mean that the bike ditches petrol altogether, as such vehicles can also run on petrol as a fuel.

It is good to know how auto makers are focussing on alternate fuel vehicles like the Apache RTR 200 Fi E100. While electric vehicles are all the rage nowadays, such alternate fuel vehicles are a good, potent replacement for the petrol/ diesel transport which can be implemented quicker than EVs. Also, having such drive trains in two-wheelers, considering they form the major part of India's vehicles, can have a major impact on bringing down the emissions by Indian transportation. So as India moves towards a cleaner transport, Kudos to TVS for adding its own bit here!