Many apprehensions were being raised on social media and among people for a long time regarding E20 petrol. Some people were claiming that E20 fuel can cause engine damage quickly and also affects the performance of the vehicles. Now the government has given a big reply to these claims in the Parliament. The government has clearly said that more than 23 crore vehicles in the country are using E20 mixed petrol, but till now no proven case of engine failure or vehicle damage has come to light.
Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi told in Rajya Sabha that more than 20 crore two-wheelers and more than 3 crore petrol cars in the country are running on E20 fuel. These also include a large number of older vehicles that were not specifically certified for E20. Still, it has not been proven yet that E20 petrol is damaging the engines of a large number of vehicles.
Blending increased only after scientific testing
The government said that the E20 program was not implemented hastily. While the share of ethanol in petrol was only 1.53% in the year 2013-14, it was increased in a phased manner to 20% by 2025-26. During this, several rounds of scientific tests, lab tests and field trials were conducted with NITI Aayog, Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), SIAM, Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP), oil marketing companies and vehicle manufacturers.
No signs of damage found even on old vehicles
According to the government, a major carmaker serviced 2.84 crore vehicles in the financial year 2025-26, including about 1.5 crore old and non-E20 certified vehicles. The company did not find any cases of engine failure due to E20. Similarly, a leading two-wheeler manufacturer also said on the basis of its service records that the damage rate in vehicles using E20 remained the same as before.
What did the government say on mileage?
The government acknowledged that mileage may be reduced by 3 to 5 percent in some older E10-based vehicles. However, its effect also depends on the condition of the vehicle, driving style and road conditions. The government says that E20 fuel has a higher octane number, which provides benefits like better combustion, smooth engine operation and less pollution.
Currently no plans to move beyond E20
The government also clarified that at present no decision has been taken to increase the amount of ethanol in petrol to more than 20%. If any step is taken in this direction in future, it will be preceded by scientific study, technical testing and extensive discussion with all concerned parties. The government also said that at present there is no proposal under consideration to make separate availability of petrol without ethanol mandatory.
Input- ANI
Also read- Why did E20 petrol not become cheaper despite adulteration of 20% ethanol? The government gave the reason
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