Ethanol-blended Fuel

The industry body first flagged chloride contamination and vehicle-part failures, but later withdrew its letter as India's ethanol policy became a wider political and commercial issue

Auto industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers has withdrawn a letter written to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas that had flagged concerns over contamination of E20 fuel that caused problems with vehicles citing the need for further authentication. In a statement, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) said the "communication in question" was part of routine and ongoing technical deliberations that take place between various stakeholders, including industry bodies, oil marketing companies, auto OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and testing agencies. "Some numbers quoted in the communication need authentication through collection of elaborate data from various regions across the country followed by a comprehensive consultation with our member OEMs," the auto industry body said. It further said, "The referred numbers reported in the media need authentication as mentioned above and therefore SIAM is withdrawing its earlier ...

Delhi Police on Tuesday stopped AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and other party leaders from marching towards the Prime Minister's residence with around 100 people to submit over 2.30 lakh petitions against E20 petrol, prompting them to stage a protest on Firoz Shah Road. Kejriwal, along with former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, AAP leader Jasmine Shah and other party leaders, sat on the road after being stopped by the police. The AAP had begun the march with around 100 people to submit the petitions, collected from people across the country, against the government's policy of promoting E20 petrol, alleging that the ethanol-blended fuel was adversely affecting vehicle owners. Addressing supporters before the march, Kejriwal said the party was carrying more than 2.30 lakh petitions signed by people from across the country and urged the government to listen to the concerns of crores of vehicle owners. "We are going to the Prime Minister's residence with over 2.30

Youth Congress workers held a protest in Nagpur on Monday on the issue of E20 fuel and attempted to march to the residence of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in order to 'gherao' it, but were stopped by the police, resulting in several participants being detained. The 'morcha' was held from Chitnivis Park Square in Mahal here till Gadkari's private residence in the same area, with Youth Congress workers shouting slogans about the unviability of E20 fuel. There was heavy deployment of police personnel near the Union minister's house along with barricades on the route, though protesters tried to climb over them to proceed. Several Congress workers were detained, police officials said. The Congress has been targeting Gadkari on the issue of E20 fuel claiming that his reply in Parliament on July 29 on the nationwide rollout of E20 petrol raises more questions than it answers. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Monday said Gadkari claims E20 has been rolled out after years of ...

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday demanded the government give the option to choose between pure petrol and E20 at fuel pumps and announced a march to the prime minister's residence on August 4 to submit petitions. Addressing a town hall style meeting on E20 fuel at the Constitution Club of India here, Kejriwal said he would collect petitions at noon on Monday and lead a march to Narendra Modi's residence on Lok Kalyan Marg with around 100 people. Kejriwal demanded that consumers be allowed to choose between E20 and regular petrol at fuel stations, and demanded lower prices for E20 mixed petrol, and a cut in petrol prices. The former Delhi chief minister also urged the government to make public the report that it cited to claim that E20 does not damage vehicles. "The Centre says studies have been conducted and E20 does not harm vehicles. I want them to share that report," he said. People from across states attended the event and shared their ...

Today's opinions examine environmental destruction in war, the strategic race for frontier AI and the lessons India can draw from Brazil's ethanol transition.

If one-fifth of every litre of petrol is now ethanol, why hasn't E20 become cheaper? Here's the government's answer

India has already achieved 20% ethanol blending and is now looking beyond E20. But as debates over mileage, vehicle compatibility and consumer concerns continue, Brazil's decades-long biofuel journey

Today's opinions examine India's ethanol-blending policy, urban employment trends, MGNREGA reforms, energy security after the Strait of Hormuz disruptions, and Project Cheetah

A LocalCircles survey says 66 per cent of pre-2023 petrol vehicle owners reported a mileage drop of more than 10 per cent, while 31 per cent want the option to return to E0 or E10 fuel

Industry experts defended India's E20 rollout, saying the ethanol blending programme followed years of testing and consultations, with no major concerns found by automakers and research bodies

India's ethanol shift promises lower imports and support for farmers, but older vehicles and the informal repair network may carry the first consumer-level costs in coming years

According to the minister, ethanol has the potential to emerge as a viable alternative to petrol, helping India reduce its massive fuel import bill

The government has removed excise duty on petrol blended with 22-30 per cent ethanol, extending tax support beyond E20 and giving a boost to India's clean fuel and energy goals

Survey of over 28,000 prospective buyers finds fuel-policy uncertainty influencing purchase decisions, with EVs and hybrids emerging as preferred alternatives to petrol vehicles

Flex fuel will help meet India's two national objectives of cutting crude oil imports and reducing carbon emissions, but requires an entire ecosystem, from fuel availability to more model launches for large-scale adoption, Maruti Suzuki India MD & CEO Hisashi Takeuchi said on Thursday. The benefits of flex-fuel go much beyond the automobile sector, supporting economy, society, environment, farmers, ethanol producers and the larger rural ecosystem, he said, while speaking at the introduction of the company's first flex-fuel vehicle here. A flex-fuel vehicle has an internal combustion engine that is designed to run on alternative fuel made by combing petrol with ethanol or methanol. Noting that India is at a critical point, Takeuchi recollected Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to citizens to save fuel and reduce import dependence. "On the other hand, we have to proceed steadily in this Amrit Kaal towards self-reliance and Viksit Bharat by 2047," he said. For both objectives, he

Puri asserted that the Flex Fuel Vehicles offer India a practical solution to reduce crude oil imports, strengthen the rural economy through ethanol demand, and advance low-carbon mobility

A recent LocalCircles study found that 29 per cent of petrol vehicle owners also faced unusual engine wear and tear as India pushes ahead with higher ethanol fuel blends beyond E20

India is preparing the ground for E85 and E100 fuels, but moving beyond E20 will depend on whether the country can produce enough ethanol, store it safely, and distribute it efficiently at scale

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said the draft includes provisions for E85 fuel, a blend of ‌85% ethanol with petrol, and E100, which would allow vehicles to run on nearly pure ethanol