Government and Automakers Reassure Public on E20 Fuel Safety
Indian government and auto industry officials defended the mandatory rollout of petrol blended with 20% ethanol, known as E20, on Saturday. They said years of testing and service data show no evidence of widespread vehicle damage, despite public concerns over lower fuel efficiency and engine safety. The fuel has faced rising criticism on social media, with motorists questioning whether older vehicles designed for lower ethanol blends could suffer corrosion, wear, or reduced performance.
Automakers Confirm Older Vehicles Can Run on E20
Automakers including Maruti Suzuki, Hero MotorCorp, and Toyota Kirloskar Motor said even older vehicles can run safely on E20. Maruti Suzuki, India's largest carmaker, reported servicing more than 15 million older cars over the past two years that were not certified for E20 and found no fuel-related problems. "As a manufacturer, we have tested E10 cars which were prevalent before 2023 on E20 fuel for all parameters and we have not found anything of concern," said Rahul Bharti, Maruti Suzuki's senior executive officer for corporate affairs, at a joint press conference with government officials.
Minor Fuel Efficiency Trade-Off Acknowledged
Industry officials acknowledged a minor trade-off: E20 reduces fuel efficiency by about 3-3.5% because of its lower energy content. However, they noted that the fuel's higher octane rating can help carmakers design future engines with higher compression ratios, which could improve performance, torque, drivability, and even fuel efficiency.
Viral Claims of Engine Failures Debunked
Officials also rejected viral claims that E20 had caused engine failures, stating that at least one widely shared case was linked to contaminated fuel rather than standard E20. They added that E20 is the highest ethanol blend currently tested for regular petrol vehicles and said any move to higher blends would need fresh trials.
