The first flex fuel motorcycle from Hero could either be the HF Deluxe or the Splendor with the ability to run on E85 fuel
Hero MotoCorp, underlining the importance of the government’s vision of ethanol-blended fuel, will introduce its first flex fuel motorcycle on June 3, 2026 in the Indian market. The launch event will also be attended by two Union Cabinet Ministers in the Modi govt namely Nitin Gadkari, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways, and Hardeep Singh Puri, the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas. Just so you know, the brand had showcased the ethanol-based Hero HF Deluxe at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025 with claims that it can run on ethanol-blended petrol with ethanol content ranging from 20% (E20) to 85% (E85).
Hero has not revealed the name of the flex fuel motorcycle yet, but it is likely to be the E85 version of the HF Deluxe. However, it has also been learnt that the company could roll out the Splendor with ethanol-blending of 85 percent. Either way, it is going to be an entry-level commuter motorcycle with a 100cc BS6 engine for the Indian market.
Hero HF Deluxe E85 flex fuel motorcycle, showcased at the BMGE 2025, was developed at the company’s state-of-the-art R&D hub, the Centre for Innovation and Technology (CIT) in Jaipur. Presently, Suzuki retails the Gixxer 250 SF flex fuel in the domestic market at a sticker price of Rs 1.98 lakh (ex-showroom) as it comes equipped with a 249cc single-cylinder engine.
Earlier, Honda too had presented the flex fuel version of the CB300F in Oct 2024 at a price point of Rs 1.70 lakh (ex-showroom). It was capable of running on E85 fuel which has ethanol blending of 85 percent in petrol. However, as early as last month, it was officially discontinued from the Indian market along with the standard version without any reasons.
The Government of India is promoting green and renewable fuel technologies with ethanol-blended fuel at the forefront of this initiative. Currently, the government has approved E20 fuel which has 20 percent ethanol content in petrol. However, it intends to take the ethanol blending up to 100 percent in near future as directives have been issued in this regard.
For the unversed, a flex fuel vehicle comes equipped with a petrol engine with the ability to run on any blend of petrol and ethanol. It starts with E20 fuel which has 20 percent ethanol while going up to E85 (85% percent ethanol). In the coming months, we will witness the launch of several flex fuel two-wheelers from leading auto brands in the country.
