India’s E20 petrol rollout sparks driver revolt
India puts more emissions of biofuel ethanol into its gasoline, while consumers complain that it damages their engines.
The rapid expanding ethanol program of the government aims to reduce cost -effective oil imports by blending gasoline with ethanol, a biofuel derived from agricultural products or organic waste that burns cleaner than traditional gasoline.
Last month, India reached the goal of reaching a 20% ethanol mixture with gasoline known as E20 gasoline five years before the program.
However, Amit Khare, who reviewed 15 million people every month on social media platforms, including Youtube, Meta and Instagram, criticized the fuel.
“Ethanol is a dry and abrasive fuel.” He said.
“It can damage several parts of fuel supply to engines,” he said. “Neither the government nor the gasoline pumps in the country do not inform users about all these issues … Consumers are kept in the dark.”
Thousands of worried drivers shared their fears in a video on the subject at the end of last month.
Consumers demand the right to choose what they put in their cars, to fill the social media with lower fuel efficiency, damage to old engines, and subsequent cost -effective repair complaints.
Punjab -based automobile critic Sunderdeep Singh, the government’s gas stations to sell different mixtures and clearly make the color code compulsory, he said.
“Most consumers don’t know how much ethanol is mixed in the gas they buy.” He said.
On Monday, the government said the concerns about the E20 fuel were unfounded. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said that the criticism lacks the “Technical Foundation” and that its reports could not find major motor damage or performance loss.
The government admitted that mileage may fall up to 6% in new cars and more than 6% in older cars, but it could be managed by routine service.
The vehicle owners quickly responded, shared their mileage numbers online, and accused the government of hiding the truth.
Khare said he tested an E20 compatible car for two months and saw a decrease in a kilometer of 5% to 6%.
There is no public data on the fact that the millions of cars and motorcycles sold before 2023 are compatible with E20 fuel, but Khare estimates that there are not most.
Biofuits are an important part of the Indian government’s plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the cost of importing oil.
According to government data, the policy saved India in the cost of imports of raw oil ($ 12.09 billion) between 2014-2024, and helped to avoid 54.4 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions in the same decade.
According to a calculator from the US Environmental Protection Agency, this is roughly the equivalent of the emissions of the car that works with 12 million gasoline per year.
However, earnings come with compromises. India accelerated ethanol production by directing plants such as sugar cane, corn and rice to fuel plants, reducing the existence of cereals for humans and cattle and removing the land from food production.
India’s largest motorcycle and scooter manufacturers of the hero of Motocorp and TVS engine both advised about Ethanol, and said that the vehicles made before 2023 required changes in the fuel system to work efficiently in E20.
Shell India warned customers to undertake the risk of motor damage or warranty loss from the E20 fuel.
Bangalore -based car owner Antony Mathew, “the government is not ready to use higher ethanol mixtures when our cars are not unfair,” he said.
“The least thing the government can do is to ensure that a new gasoline car demands more than 30% tax in a new gasoline car, while the compatible fuel is available in the market.”
Published – 07 August 2025 09:38
