E20 petrol may reduce mileage by up to 5% in older vehicles, but causes no widespread engine damage: Govt
The central government has admitted that E20 petrol can result in around three to five per cent reduction in mileage in some older vehicles which
The central government has admitted that E20 petrol can result in around three to five per cent reduction in mileage in some older vehicles which were designed for E10 fuel, but has said that extensive testing as well as real-world experience have not found any widespread damage being caused to the engines. There have also been no vehicle breakdown that can be linked to the blending of enthanol in fuel, the government told the Parliament on Wednesday. Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi, in written replies to questions raised in the Rajya Sabha, said fuel efficiency is dependent on a number of factors, including driving habits, maintenance of vehicles, tyre pressure, air-conditioning load, as well as wheel alignment. "Any reduction in fuel economy in certain older E10-designed vehicles is generally marginal (around 3-5%)," the written reply revealed. It also said that E20 fuel provides higher octane, better anti-knock performance, better combustion characteristics, as well as smoother acceleration.
As per the government, E15 petrol has been in use for more than 3.5 years while E19 and E20 fuel have been in use for more than 2.5 years. It also said that upwards of 20 crore two-wheelers and 3 crore petrol-run cars, including older vehicles which were manufactured before the E20 certification, have been operating on these blends without there being any verified evidence of widespread engine failures that are linked to ethanol-blended fuel. The government also said that manufacturer service data has revealed that a leading manufacturer of four wheelers serviced 2.84 crore vehicles during FY 2025-26, which included 1.5 crore older non-E20-certified vehicles, without having reported any vehicular damage that can be attributed to E20 fuel. It also said that a manufacturer of two-wheelers has also reported no higher incidences of damage in vehicles which are running on E20 fuel compared with earlier blends. The government also said that vehicle manufacturers are still honouring warranty obligations for those vehicles using E20 fuel that is compliant with specifications.
It also said that extensive laboratory studies as well as field trials have been carried out, but no significant variation has been found in legacy vehicles when it came to parameters like drivability, startability, metal compatibility and plastic compatibility. There is no proposal to revert back to E0 or E10 petrol, the government said, adding that maintaining parallel nationwide supply chains for E0, E10 and E20 across more than one lakh retail outlets would increase logistics complexity, inventory and handling costs. Also Read | E20 petrol row: Raipur consumer court asks Maruti Suzuki to replace Grand Vitara ARAI testing backs E20 fuel rollout: Govt The government also said that the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme was carried out in a phased, calibrated, scientifically validated and consultative approach" which involved the NITI Aayog, Oil Marketing Companies, automobile manufacturers, ARAI, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) and other technical institutions.
The BriefWire