Page 3 - Ethanol Blending

Kejriwal to seek automakers' written assurances on E20 fuel, to write to PM

Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said he would write to three major automakers, seeking written assurances that the use of E20 fuel does not damage engines or reduce mileage. He also said that he would write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the "strong protest" by people against ethanol blending and would urge him that the fuel be made optional. Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal named Maruti Suzuki, Toyota Kirloskar and Hero MotoCorp, alleging that their public statements contradicted the guidance in the owner manuals of their vehicles. "I will write letters to all of them... I will tell them that your owner manual says one thing, but you are saying something else. Give in writing that if the mileage of your vehicle drops by more than 10 per cent, will you compensate the customer," Kejriwal said. "If using E20 ethanol in your vehicle damages the vehicle or causes wear and tear, will you compensate for the replacement of those components?,"

53% petrol vehicle owners fault govt's handling of E20 rollout: Survey

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

Drivers in India protest ethanol petrol policy over mileage, cost concerns

The government and automakers have been on the defensive after weeks of complaints on social media

E20 fuel mileage impact limited to 3-3.5%: Maruti Suzuki's Rahul Bharti

Maruti Suzuki's Rahul Bharti said E20 fuel has 3-3.5 per cent lower calorific value than E10 petrol, adding that driving and maintenance factors cause wider mileage variation

Industry leaders back E20 rollout, say years of testing found no concerns

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

Ethanol blending backed by global practice, scientific studies: Govt

The government on Friday issued a detailed rebuttal to what it described as misinformation circulating on social media about the country's E20 ethanol blending programme, rejecting claims ranging from excessive water consumption and engine damage to insurance invalidation and environmental harm. In a 10-point clarification, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said the programme, under which petrol contains up to 20 per cent ethanol, is supported by scientific studies, international experience and regulatory safeguards. Rejecting claims that producing one litre of ethanol consumes 10,000 litres of water, the ministry said only surplus rice, cleared after meeting national food security requirements, is diverted for ethanol production. It added that ethanol distilleries consume about 3-5 litres of processed water per litre of ethanol and increasingly operate Zero Liquid Discharge systems to recycle water. The ministry also said maize, which now accounts for more than 40 per cent

Govt seeks to contain backlash against mandatory E20 petrol rollout

The Centre defended the mandatory use of 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol after criticism over fuel efficiency and vehicle performance fuelled calls for protests

India's clean energy shift is reaching homes: Are consumers keeping pace?

From E20 petrol and EVs to rooftop solar and rising electricity use, India's energy transition is reaching households. But are consumers ready for the costs and is government support enough?

India's first integrated bio-ethanol refinery to open in Odisha on July 4

BPCL's Rs 1,775 crore integrated 1G-2G bio-ethanol refinery in Bargarh will convert paddy straw into fuel, support farmers and strengthen India's clean energy transition

Govt says reports on E20 blending submissions before SC are incorrect

Ministry says reports misrepresented the Attorney General's submissions before the Supreme Court on ethanol allocation and stressed the national E20 programme was never described as an experiment

66% of pre-2023 petrol vehicle owners report over 10% mileage drop: Survey

Compared with May 2026, the share of respondents reporting a mileage decline of more than 10 per cent increased by 21 percentage points within a month, representing a 47 per cent jump

Best of BS Opinion: RBI strategy, Greenspan's legacy, and Kolkata's renewal

Today's opinions explore India's forex reserve strategy, Alan Greenspan's complex legacy, West Bengal's urban renewal agenda, maize-led farm growth and China's coercive diplomacy

Govt dismisses claims on ethanol-blended petrol as misleading, baseless

Petroleum ministry says social media posts on ethanol-blended fuel are misleading and reiterates that higher blending levels follow stringent testing and evaluation

Using E20 petrol in old vehicles? Maintenance costs may rise up to ₹10,000

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

Can E85 fuel become the breakthrough for India's ethanol blending goals?

The launch of E85 fuel and flex-fuel vehicles has revived debate on the future of ethanol blending in India, but questions remain over incentives, infrastructure and consumer acceptance

New ethanol fuel push: Can your car use E22, E25 or E30? | Ethanol blending | Excise duty

The Ministry of Finance exempted petrol containing 22 per cent, 25 per cent, 27 per cent and 30 per cent ethanol from central excise duty. The move covers E22, E25, E27 and E30 fuel variants.

Ethanol beyond E20: Why India's clean fuel plan needs a water audit

India's ethanol push is moving beyond E20, but experts say higher blending must also account for groundwater stress and regional water limits

Best of BS Opinion: E85 policy push needs a coherent transport roadmap

From India's biofuel push and FIFA's commercial priorities to pressure on the rupee, shifts in the global arms market and Malayalam cinema's evolution, here are today's key opinion pieces

Ethanol Gambit: E85 push must be matched by a long-term transport strategy

Every increase in ethanol content requires engineering changes, recalibrating engines, testing, certification, and modifications to components exposed to fuel

Centre exempts higher ethanol petrol from excise, rollout subject to tests

The government has extended excise-duty exemption to petrol blended with 22-30 per cent ethanol but said adoption of higher blends will follow extensive testing and stakeholder consultations