E20, 22, 25, 27, 30, 85: Is your car or bike ready for ethanol-blended petrol? Here's all you need to know

Published 11 June 2026 · politics

In its latest push for ethanol-blended fuels, the Narendra Modi-led Central government has waived off excise duty on several variants, including E22, E25, E27 and

In its latest push for ethanol-blended fuels, the Narendra Modi-led Central government has waived off excise duty on several variants, including E22, E25, E27 and E30. Essentially this means that excise duty will be 'nil' on petrol with 22%, 25%, 27% and 30% ethanol blend. The waiver is aimed encouraging customers to move towards ethanol-blended petrol at a time when petrol and diesel prices have increased by a cumulative ₹7.5 per litre since the escalation of the West Asia conflict. In March, the central government had cut excise duty on petrol and diesel by ₹10/litre — foregoing over ₹1 lakh crore of annual revenue — in an attempt to cushion domestic customers from the surge in global crude oil prices. Recently, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri was seen announcing the roll out of E85, or petrol blended with 85% ethanol. As the government pushes for more ethanol-blended fuels, domestic customers grapple with certain queries — primarily if blended petrol would be cheaper than regular petrol, and how will it impact the efficiency of the vehicle engine. Here's all you need to know What is E22, E25, E27 and E30? E22 implies petrol blended with 22% ethanol. By volume, E22 consists of 78% petrol, on which appropriate excise duties have been paid; and 22% ethanol which invites Central, state/Union Territory or integrated taxes. Similarly, E25, E27, and E30 have 25%, 27% and 30% ethanol composition by volume.

On 20 May, the government had notified norms for E22, E25, E27 and E30 fuel blends In its notification, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) laid down specifications for fuel blends made by mixing petrol with anhydrous ethanol, or ethanol which is completely free from moisture, for use in “positive ignition engine-powered vehicles”. It is important to note here that E22-E30 blends have only been notified by the ministry and have not been rolled out for retail as yet. Which is the most popular fuel blend in use at present? E20, or petrol blended with 20% ethanol, is the most widely available across fuel pumps in India owing to its mandatory usage starting 1 April 2026. Before that, E10 was the standard for years until 2022. It was in the year 2021 that NITI Aayog published its Roadmap for Ethanol Blending in India 2020-25, which advanced the E20 deadline from 2030 to 2025. In 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched E20 fuel at the India Energy Week and rolled it out at 84 petrol pumps across 11 states and Union Territories. Starting April 2023, all vehicles sold were mandated to be E20 compliant. In August 2025, the government stated OMCs (Oil Marketing Companies) have achieved an average ethanol blending of 19.93% had been achieved in July 2025 — nearly six months ahead of their target. How many vehicles are compliant with E20?