Ethanol-blended petrol worries consumers (AI-image)

The nationwide rollout of 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol (E20) has triggered a wave of questions and concerns from vehicle owners, with many claiming declining fuel efficiency, sluggish performance and higher maintenance costs. Service centres say non-E20-compliant vehicles — which still account for a majority on Indian roads — are facing engine wear and gasket failures, forcing consumers to recalibrate or replace parts.Car owners were quoted by Economic Times an their experience and opinion on government’s Ethanol-based fuel. Mileage and performance hit? Rahul Vaidya, who owns a 2019 Volkswagen Vento, saw his car’s mileage fall from 11–12 kmpl to 7–8 kmpl. “The ride felt heavier, and the response wasn’t as crisp,” he said, before a service centre confirmed his car wasn’t E20-compliant. After replacing critical components and recalibrating the engine, performance was restored. Mahesh Nair, who drives a 2021 Suzuki Brezza, reported a similar drop of over 20 per cent in mileage, along with jerky drives and poor pick-up. His vehicle required ECU tuning and E20-compatible parts to resolve the issues. “I had no idea my car wasn’t ready for E20 in the first place,” he said. Industry executives estimate non-E20 vehicles may see fuel efficiency fall by around 7 per cent, while official studies, including those by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and the Petroleum Ministry, peg the drop at 1–6 per cent. ARAI director Reji Mathai said field trials had shown “no abnormalities,” though some plastics and elastomers did degrade under testing.Policy push vs consumer awareness The ethanol-blending programme is central to India’s energy strategy. From April 2023, all new vehicles were required to be E20-compliant, with stricter enforcement beginning April 2025. Yet, nine out of ten cars currently on the road are only E10-ready, designed to handle a maximum of 10 per cent ethanol. Consumers, however, appear largely unaware. “There’s a glaring gap in awareness. OEMs must educate car buyers. Consumers are stakeholders too,” said Naveen Soni, former president of Lexus India. Two-wheeler maker Hero MotoCorp has issued advisories warning older vehicles may need modifications to run smoothly on E20. Some automakers have also hinted warranties may not hold for vehicles running on higher ethanol blends. Oil companies maintain additives are being introduced to limit corrosion. Brazil’s decades-long experience with flex-fuel technology is often cited as a model, though experts note India’s consumer transition is proving more abrupt. For the government, the programme has saved over Rs 1.44 lakh crore in foreign exchange since 2014, substituted 245 lakh metric tonnes of crude, and cut CO₂ emissions by the equivalent of planting 30 crore trees. Ethanol demand has also boosted sugarcane farmers’ incomes, with payments this year alone expected to touch Rs 40,000 crore. But for vehicle owners, the immediate impact is higher fuel bills and repairs. “E20 has a lower heat content than pure petrol, so a marginal drop in fuel efficiency is inevitable,” said IV Rao, Distinguished Fellow at TERI. “The extent will vary by manufacturer and model, but consumers must not be left in the dark.”