Mileage May Drop 6%, BS-III Rubber Parts At Risk: How E20 Petrol Could Affect Your Car

Published 31 July 2026 · india

Mileage May Drop 6%, BS-III Rubber Parts At Risk: How E20 Petrol Could Affect Your Car Published By, Last Updated: July 31, 2026, 09:12 IST

Mileage May Drop 6%, BS-III Rubber Parts At Risk: How E20 Petrol Could Affect Your Car Published By, Last Updated: July 31, 2026, 09:12 IST Gadkari said vehicle owners may experience a drop in mileage and that certain rubber parts in older BS-III vehicles may require replacement. Representative image of E20 petrol being filled in the car. Amid the ongoing controversy over ethanol-blended petrol, which has been rolled out across the country, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has highlighted the issues car owners may face due to E20 fuel. The minister said vehicle owners may experience a drop in mileage and that certain rubber parts in older BS-III vehicles may require replacement, while reiterating that E20 petrol does not damage engines. Mileage To Drop By 2% To 6% Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, Gadkari said E20 petrol can reduce vehicle fuel efficiency, lowering mileage by 2% to 6%. However, he added that the drop in mileage would depend on the vehicle category and its age. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Gadkari said a joint study by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) found that E20 may marginally reduce mileage.

The study also found that ethanol-blended petrol improves acceleration, ride quality and lowers carbon emissions by around 30%. Also Read: E20 Petrol May Be Harming Rubber Parts In Older BS-III Vehicles, Will Need Replacement: Nitin Gadkari “The fuel efficiency of vehicles may be reduced by 2 to 6 per cent depending on the vehicle category and vintage. The tests for engine durability on a dynamometer and vehicle tests on road have not shown any failures due to E20," the minister said. Rubber Parts In Older BS-III Vehicles May Need Replacement Responding to a question in Parliament, Gadkari said certain rubber parts and gaskets in older BS-III vehicles manufactured before 2016 may require replacement when running on E20 petrol, while maintaining that the blended fuel does not significantly affect overall vehicle performance or require engine modifications. The minister noted that tests on BS-III vehicles introduced from April 1, 2005, and manufactured before 2016, indicated that some rubber components may need replacement. “Only in case of testing done on BS-III vehicles introduced from April 1, 2005, and manufactured before 2016, some rubber parts and gaskets may require replacement, which can be easily managed during the routine servicing regime of the vehicle," Gadkari said.