As India intensifies its efforts to reduce crude oil imports and increase the use of cleaner, domestically produced fuels, Hero MotoCorp has launched the country’s first mass-market flex-fuel commuter motorcycles. The introduction of the Splendor+ Flex Fuel and HF Deluxe Flex Fuel represents a major step in the government’s ethanol-blending roadmap, bringing alternative-fuel technology to a segment that accounts for a significant share of India’s two-wheeler market.

Flex-fuel vehicles offer India a viable solution to reduce crude oil imports, strengthen the rural economy through increased ethanol demand, and advance the country’s low-carbon mobility goals. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri described the launch of Hero MotoCorp’s new flex-fuel motorcycles in New Delhi as “a new chapter in India’s energy history.”

The newly introduced motorcycles are compatible with ethanol blends ranging from E20 to E85. The Splendor+ Flex Fuel and HF Deluxe Flex Fuel mark India’s entry into mass-market flex-fuel mobility.

Ethanol blending, which is now emerging as a defining feature of India’s mobility landscape, stood at just 1.5 percent in 2014 and has since increased to 20 percent. The initiative has helped reduce energy import bills while creating an additional source of income for farmers, who play an integral role in boosting ethanol production.

These developments are expected to reduce India’s dependence on crude oil imports, which currently account for around 88.5 percent of the country’s oil requirements, leaving the energy sector vulnerable to geopolitical disruptions.

According to the government, the Ethanol Blending Programme has delivered significant benefits since Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2014-15. The programme has helped India save Rs1.84 lakh crore in foreign exchange, substitute 302 lakh metric tonnes of crude oil, and reduce CO2 emissions by 909 lakh metric tonnes. It has also generated Rs 1.58 lakh crore in additional income for farmers, effectively transforming the country’s “Annadatas” into “Urjadatas.”

Hero MotoCorp has priced the Splendor+ Flex Fuel at ?82,710 and the HF Deluxe Flex Fuel at ?72,792. Both motorcycles can run on ethanol blends ranging from E20 to E85. Sales will commence in select regions of Maharashtra and Delhi from July 2026, with a nationwide rollout planned thereafter.

Both motorcycles are powered by Hero’s long-serving 97.2cc single-cylinder engine, now adapted to operate on higher ethanol blends. When running on E85 fuel, the engine produces 8.6 hp at 8,000 rpm and 8.3 Nm of torque at 6,000 rpm. To ensure compatibility with higher ethanol concentrations, Hero has equipped the motorcycles with revised ECU calibration and upgraded fuel system components, including a new fuel pump, a primary fuel filter, and an additional secondary fuel filter.

As the government accelerates ethanol adoption efforts, Hero MotoCorp’s launch of flex-fuel versions of its popular commuter motorcycles brings the technology to the mass-market segment. Unlike earlier flex-fuel two-wheelers that were largely limited to premium models or technology demonstrators, the new offerings aim to make ethanol-compatible mobility more accessible.

The HF Deluxe Flex Fuel is priced just Rs 172 higher than its E20-compliant counterpart, while the Splendor+ Flex Fuel commands a premium of Rs 5,153. Hero notes that the Splendor and HF families together account for nearly one-third of all motorcycles on Indian roads, making this launch a significant step toward wider flex-fuel adoption.

Both models feature a digi-analogue instrument cluster, tubeless tyres, and a side-stand engine cut-off. The Splendor+ Flex Fuel additionally receives Hero’s i3S idle stop-start technology. The motorcycles will initially be available in Delhi and select regions of Maharashtra from July 2026, before being rolled out across the country.