TVS Unveils Ethanol-Powered Apache Bike in India
Indian motorcycle manufacturer TVS has launched an ethanol-powered bike, the Apache RTR 200 Fi E100. The vehicle is priced at Rs 1.20 lakh (ex-showroom) and features a 200cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine that produces 20.7 BHP @ 8,500 rpm and 18.1 Nm of torque @ 7,000 rpm.
The bike runs exclusively on ethanol, which is produced from renewable plant sources such as sugarcane, corn, maize, and wheat. Ethanol has several environmental benefits, including reducing nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide, and carbon monoxide emissions by up to 35% compared to petrol.
The expected price of a litre of ethanol is around Rs 55, making it cheaper than petrol and potentially reducing running costs for the bike's owners. However, there are currently no ethanol pumps in India, although the government is actively promoting its use and developing infrastructure to support it.