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Tata Motors’ first car with a flex-fuel engine could be an entry-level model aimed at spurring mass adoption of the new technology
Expanding the range of its clean-energy powertrain options beyond electric and CNG, Tata Motors is planning to introduce a flex-fuel option in India. The company will be ready with its first flex-fuel car within a year.
During Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles’ Q4 FY2026 earnings conference call on 14 May, MD and CEO Shailesh Chandra revealed that the company is in advanced stages of commercialising flex-fuel technology. “We are very comfortable in terms of technology readiness”, Chandra said.
Further into the call, Chandra said that Tata Motors should be ready with its first flex-fuel car also by the end of 2026 or early 2027. He did not reveal which model would be the first to get a flex-fuel engine, but according to an earlier developments point at the Punch, already available in petrol, petrol-CNG, and electric variants.
Also Read: Tata Records Highest Annual Sales Of 6.4 Lakh Units In FY26, 92K+ EVs
In January 2025, Mohan Savarkar, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles’ Chief Product Officer and Vice President, told Autocar India that the timeline for commercialising the first flex-fuel engine will depend on the government’s readiness for E85 fuel rollout, but when that happens, the Punch would be the first product to receive it. Savarkar was speaking on the sidelines of Auto Expo 2025, where Tata Motors introduced a prototype of the Punch with a flex-fuel engine.
The Tata Punch Flex Fuel showcased at Auto Expo 2025 featured a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated three-cylinder engine compliant with E20-E85 ethanol fuel blends. Tata Motors had modified the fuel-injection system and the ECU, added an exhaust after-treatment system, and applied a software-based ethanol percentage detection system to modify the Punch into this flex-fuel prototype.
Also Read: Tata April 2026 Sales Analysis; Punch, Nexon, Sierra, Harrier, Altroz, Tiago
On 27 April, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) issued a draft proposing amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, to cover E85 and E100 ethanol fuel blends. It is seeking opinions and suggestions from the public, but has yet to announce when it will decide on this move.
In addition to Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki and Toyota Kirloskar Motor have shown interest in introducing flex-fuel cars. With the ongoing energy crisis and the falling rupee value, the commercialisation of higher-blend ethanol fuels could be fast-tracked, pushing these companies to launch their flex-fuel cars soon.
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