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Nitin Gadkari launches pilot on FFV-SHEV hybrid electric vehicles

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday launched Japanese car maker Toyota's first-of-its-kind pilot project on flex fuel-strong hybrid electric vehicle (FFV-SHEV) that can run on 100 per cent ethanol. During the launch, the Toyota Corolla Altis FFV-SHEV, which has been imported from Toyota Brazil for the pilot project, was unveiled.Speaking on the occasion, Union Road Transport minister Nitin Gadkari said pollution is a big concern in India and the transport sector is contributing to pollution. "Therefore, there is a need to encourage use of electric vehicles and vehicles that run on biofuels like ethanol and methanol," he added.Besides Gadkari, union ministers Mahendra Nath Pandey, Bhupinder Yadav and senior officials of Toyota Kirloskar Motor were present at the event.In Brazil, flex fuel-strong hybrid electric vehicle technology has been introduced by Toyota Brazil.An FFV SHEV has a flex-fuel engine and an electric powertrain, thus providing dual benefit of higher ethanol use and greater fuel efficiency, as it can run for a significant time period on its EV mode, wherein the engine is shut off.