Hero MotoCorp has launched flex-fuel variants of its popular Splendor and HF Deluxe motorcycles, marking a major milestone in its alternative fuel strategy and reinforcing its commitment to supporting India’s transition towards cleaner and more sustainable mobility solutions.
The new motorcycles were unveiled in the presence of Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, and Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, both strong advocates of ethanol adoption and alternative fuel technologies in the country.
Speaking at the launch, Hero MotoCorp CEO Harshavardhan Chitale revealed that the company is preparing to introduce flex-fuel technology across its entire motorcycle range over the next one to two years, subject to the expansion of ethanol infrastructure and fuel availability across India.
He noted that as the ethanol ecosystem matures and accessibility improves, Hero MotoCorp is well-positioned to scale the technology across all its products, enabling wider adoption among Indian consumers.
The introduction of flex-fuel motorcycles represents Hero MotoCorp’s most significant step in the alternative-fuel mobility space to date and aligns closely with the government’s efforts to reduce dependence on imported crude oil through greater use of domestically produced ethanol.
Highlighting the broader significance of the initiative, Chitale said the move extends beyond product innovation and contributes directly to India’s energy security goals. With the country importing a substantial portion of its crude oil requirements, expanding ethanol usage can help reduce exposure to global energy price fluctuations while strengthening domestic energy self-reliance.
Hero MotoCorp selected the Splendor and HF Deluxe platforms for the debut of flex-fuel technology due to their immense popularity and extensive customer base. The company believes that deploying the technology on high-volume commuter motorcycles will enable meaningful impact at scale and accelerate consumer adoption.
Chitale also emphasized the indigenous development of the new motorcycles, stating that they were designed, engineered, and manufactured in India through Hero MotoCorp’s Centre for Innovation and Technology (CIT) in Jaipur, with minimal reliance on imported components.
According to the company, increased adoption of ethanol-based fuels can deliver multiple benefits, including lower emissions, reduced fuel imports, improved energy resilience, and stronger demand for agricultural feedstock, creating additional opportunities for farmers and rural communities.
The flex-fuel Splendor and HF Deluxe are capable of operating on higher ethanol blends and form an integral part of Hero MotoCorp’s broader vision of making cleaner mobility practical, affordable, and accessible to a larger segment of Indian consumers.
With this launch, Hero MotoCorp is seeking to move ethanol-powered mobility from a niche initiative to a mainstream solution within India’s mass-market two-wheeler segment, paving the way for broader adoption of alternative fuel technologies in the years ahead.
