India seeks to quell fears over ethanol-blended petrol
E20 petrol has come under scrutiny after viral social media posts alleged it harms engines
New Delhi: India sought to allay concerns on Friday over its drive to expand the use of ethanol-blended petrol after motorists complained that the biofuel could damage vehicles or affect their performance.
E20 petrol, a fuel containing 20 percent ethanol, has come under scrutiny after viral social media posts alleged it harms engines and raises maintenance costs in vehicles designed for lower ethanol blends.
India, which has long promoted biofuels to cut oil imports and lower emissions, has accelerated its ethanol-blending programme under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The oil ministry acknowledged on Friday that E20 could lead to a “3-5 percent reduction in fuel economy”, but said claims of engine damage did not “stand the test of scientific evidence”.
It said the transition to E20 had been introduced gradually and in consultation with automakers.
Citing data from the country’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki, the ministry said none of the 28.4 million vehicles serviced by the company in the 2025-2026 financial year reported “E20-linked corrosion, abnormal wear, or component-life damage”.
Toyota India said issues raised in a viral complaint involving one of its vehicles were caused by fuel contamination and “not related to E20 fuel usage”.
State-owned refiner Bharat Petroleum also dismissed social media claims that E20 petrol attracted ants, saying it had found “no identifiable attractant” that would cause insects to gather around fuel caps.
The controversy has nevertheless fuelled heated debate online, on television and at a protest in New Delhi last week.
Critics have urged the government to offer motorists a choice between unblended petrol, E10 and E20 fuel.
But the oil ministry said maintaining multiple grades across India’s vast fuel distribution network would be logistically difficult and costly.
“Maintaining multiple grades of base petrol across this vast supply chain would create an enormous logistical challenge, increase handling costs, complicate inventory management and reduce operational efficiency,” it said.
