Supreme Court rejects plea opposing rollout of 20% ethanol-blended petrol

The petition asked for ethanol labelling at all petrol pumps, but the Centre opposed the move, arguing E20 fuel supports sugarcane farmers

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that had challenged the nationwide rollout of 20 per cent ethanol-blended (E20) petrol, alleging that millions of motorists were compelled to use fuel not designed for their vehicles, news agency PTI reported.

 

A bench led by Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran rejected the arguments put forward in the petition filed by advocate Akshay Malhotra. The plea had sought directions to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas to ensure the availability of ethanol-free petrol at all fuel stations.

 

What is E20 Petrol? 

E20 petrol is a blend of 20 per cent ethanol and 80 per cent petrol. Ethanol, an alcohol-based fuel, is largely produced from crops such as sugarcane. While modern vehicles are designed to handle such blends, most old vehicles in India are suited only to E10 petrol, which contains 10 per cent ethanol. The Centre, opposing the plea, argued that E20 petrol supports sugarcane farmers.  

 

   

What did the petition seek?

 

The plea urged the authorities to…

 

1) Make ethanol content labelling mandatory on all fuel stations, so consumers can clearly see it.

 

2) To inform consumers about the ethanol compatibility of their vehicles at the time of refuelling.

 

3) Initiate a nationwide impact study on mechanical degradation and efficiency loss caused by E20 petrol in non-compliant vehicles.

   

The petition also argued that millions of motorists were left with no choice but to purchase fuel unsuited to their vehicles. It mentioned that cars and two-wheelers manufactured before 2023, and even certain newer Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI) models, are not compatible with such high ethanol blends.

   

Ministry’s clarification on E20 petrol 

In August, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas dismissed reports that E20 petrol causes reduced fuel efficiency. The ministry maintained that such assertions were “factually incorrect” and unsupported by scientific research. It clarified that while ethanol has a lower energy density than petrol, its effect on mileage is minimal.

 

The ministry’s statement came against the backdrop of a recent survey indicating that most Indian petrol vehicle owners were opposed to the government’s mandate on E20 petrol. The survey, which gathered more than 36,000 responses from owners across 315 districts, found that two out of three people with vehicles purchased in 2022 or earlier reported a drop in fuel efficiency in 2025 compared with previous years.