E20 fuel: Nitin Gadkari says no vehicle engine failures observed

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday told Parliament that the government had tested older vehicles running fuel blended with 20% ethanol and found no case of engine failure.

The vehicles covered almost 1 lakh km in the tests conducted by the government-run Automotive Research Association of India, the road transport minister told the Lok Sabha.

The Union government’s Ethanol Blending Programme mandates the sale of petrol blended with 20% ethanol, or E20 fuel. A report in October, which analysed government and industry data, said that only about 20% of new petrol vehicles sold in India in the last 15 years were compliant with the E20 fuel blend.

Consumers have complained that the new fuel mix damages engines and reduces their mileage.

Gadkari said that the research association had observed “no impact” of E20 fuel on the vehicles’ performance, start ability, drive ability and metal capability.

In a written response to an MP’s question, Gadkari said that the safety standards for E20 had been “well established“ through specifications of the Bureau of Indian Standards and Automotive Industry Standards.

“In most parameters, including driveability, startability, metal compatibility and plastic compatibility, there are no issues,” he said.

E20 complaint vehicles

Trinamool Congress MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia had asked whether the Union government had prescribed norms mandating vehicle manufacturers to label or certify models as E10 or E20 fuel compatible, if the certification data had been made public.

Basunia also sought to know how many vehicles in the country were not compliant with E20 fuel standards and whether a phase-out or retrofit programme for non-compliant vehicles has been announced.

The minister said that the compatibility of a vehicle with the level of ethanol blend of E20 is to be defined by the vehicle manufacturer. It should be displayed on the vehicle by putting a clearly visible sticker, he said.

The vehicles sold before April 1, 2023, were compliant with E10 and those after the date are E20 material compliant, the minister said.

Based on the recommendation of a study conducted by the Automotive Research Association of India, Indian Oil Corporation Limited and the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, “there would be no requirement for a phase out or retrofit of non-compliant vehicles”, the minister said.

“The normal wear and tear can be managed during routine servicing regime of the vehicle,” he added.

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers is an association of all major vehicle and vehicular engine makers in the country.

In July, India hit its target of reaching a 20% ethanol mix in petrol, five years ahead of schedule.

This was part of India’s broader energy transition strategy aimed at reducing dependency on fossil fuels, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and boosting income for sugarcane farmers.

Also read:

• Drivers fear engine damage, mileage drop as India increases ethanol in petrol to 20%
• Race to rollout E20 fuel leaves behind most vehicles on Indian roads