The public and media were outraged recently after a suggestion that petrol stations could be closed from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. to curb consumption. Oil import is the heaviest burden on India’s foreign exchange, at $144 billion last year. The situation could get worse, given the potential for an increase in crude prices with further destabilisation in West Asia. India needs to think beyond 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. and look for long-term, indigenous, sustainable solutions — solutions innovated in Brazil.
Flexi-fuel engines
One way to reduce petrol consumption is to use ethanol as a fuel. Brazil has already done it successfully, reducing petrol consumption by 30 per cent. All new cars produced in Brazil have flexi-fuel engines which run on 100 per cent ethanol or 100 per cent petrol or any combination of the two. In addition, there is a 20 per cent mandatory ethanol addition to petrol.