Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has said the government has directed automobile manufacturers to replace components in older vehicles that may be affected by E20 fuel during routine servicing, without imposing any additional cost on consumers.
“For older cars going for servicing, the washers used to be made of metal. Now they are made of rubber. During servicing, we have instructed vehicle manufacturers to replace those washers at no extra cost for the consumer. In my knowledge, no cars have broken down. When it comes to performance, ethanol is proven to be better; it has much better anti-knocking properties and a high octane number. I have been advocating for ethanol as an alternative since 2004,” Gadkari said.
The minister also dismissed reports circulating on social media about widespread vehicle damage caused by E20 fuel, describing them as exaggerated and misleading.
“Show me a single car that has suffered damage because of E20 fuel. What is being circulated on social media is part of a concerted false narrative,” he said. Addressing concerns over fuel efficiency, Gadkari acknowledged that E20 petrol can affect mileage because ethanol has a lower calorific value than conventional petrol.
“Look, there are a couple of things: the first is the difference in calorific value between ethanol and petrol – which is a fact. But mileage also depends on driving conditions, especially in cities such as Delhi or Mumbai, where vehicles stay in lower gears due to driving conditions,” he said.
Citing findings from the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), Gadkari said vehicles specifically designed with flex-fuel engines do not face mileage efficiency issues.
“According to the ARAI report, for vehicles specifically built with flex-fuel engines, there is no problem with mileage efficiency. That is why we are also working on promoting flex-engine technology,” he added. Explaining the impact of driving patterns on fuel consumption, Gadkari said stop-and-go traffic conditions significantly affect mileage figures.
“In stop-and-go traffic from Delhi to Gurgaon, you are constantly braking. Your speed barely goes above 40-50 kilometres per hour before you hit a red light. However, if you drive at a continuous speed of 100 kmph, you may see some difference in value,” he said. The minister further stated that nearly a dozen automobile manufacturers in India are currently working on flex-fuel vehicle models. He also pointed out that Brazil has been using fuel blended with 27 per cent ethanol since 1970.
“The goal is to give the public a choice – multiple blends at different pricing, given that ethanol is priced at approximately Rs 75 per litre,” Gadkari said.