The E20 transition: fuel for debate
“Business is brisk,” says 53-year-old Abdul Aziz, a mechanic and co-owner of a repair shop in Karol Bagh’s Nala market, New Delhi, a bustling car
“Business is brisk,” says 53-year-old Abdul Aziz, a mechanic and co-owner of a repair shop in Karol Bagh’s Nala market, New Delhi, a bustling car repair bazaar. He says this flashing a wry smile, his mouth stained red by paan. The surge in business, he says, is being driven by a growing number of owners arriving with strikingly similar complaints. Over the past few months, motorists have been reporting a sharp drop in fuel efficiency and vehicles that jerk while driving. Mechanics call it “gaadi missing de rahi hai” — a symptom that often points to poor fuel delivery. According to Aziz and his business partner, Tanveer Ahmed Khan, the most common causes are clogged fuel injectors and blocked fuel filters. The Nala market, as the busy automobile hub is locally known, is home to nearly 100 repair shops lined up in two parallel rows beneath a sprawling canopy of old trees. Signboards engines, tyres, and spare parts hang overhead. Even in a steady drizzle, bonnets remain propped open as mechanics slide beneath dashboards and around engine bays to reach inaccessible corners. Worn tools, grease-stained hands, and decades of experience keep both the vehicles and the market humming. Khan says mechanics are also noticing unusually heavy carbon deposits in fuel injectors, and carburettors of older vehicles, along with a rise in oxygen (O2) sensor failures. “Almost every car that comes in now has to be opened up for inspection,” he says. According to the mechanics, these complaints are a relatively recent phenomenon that coincides with the nationwide rollout of petrol blended with 20% ethanol (E20) as the default fuel at retail outlets since April 2025, 5 years ahead of the original timeline under the Ethanol Blended Programme. The programme seeks to improve India’s energy security by reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels, support farmers by creating a market for ethanol feedstock, and lower vehicular emissions. India’s push towards ethanol is driven largely by its dependence on imported crude oil. With nearly 88.5% of its oil requirement met through imports, the country remains vulnerable to volatile global oil prices, geopolitical disruptions and supply uncertainties. By blending petrol with ethanol made from domestically grown crops such as sugarcane, maize and surplus rice, the government aims to reduce its reliance on imported fossil fuels while creating a more secure and self-reliant energy system. According to the government, the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme has helped lower crude oil imports, encouraged the use of renewable, indigenous fuel and strengthened India’s energy security. The government claims it has already saved ₹1.97 lakh crore in foreign exchange, and substituted nearly 316 lakh metric tonnes of crude oil. According to the government and the automobile industry, all petrol vehicles sold since April 1, 2023 are E20 material compliant. They acknowledge that E20 may lead to a 3–5% reduction in fuel economy because ethanol has a lower energy content than petrol. However, many motorists claim that their real-world experience has been different, with some reporting mileage losses of up to 20% after switching to E20. These anecdotal claims have not been independently verified and can vary depending on the vehicle, driving conditions and maintenance. However, while the government commissioned the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Heavy Industries, to study the impact of E20 on vehicles, it has not made the empirical findings public. The absence of official data has fuelled speculation and competing claims over the blend’s real-world impact.
The BriefWire