Industry experts and major automobile manufacturers on Saturday sought to allay concerns over the use of ethanol-blended petrol, saying E20 fuel with 20% ethanol content has undergone extensive scientific testing and is safe even for vehicles manufactured before the E20 mandate, “while also helping India reduce crude oil imports and carbon emissions”.
The clarification comes amid growing public debate over E20, with some motorists, social media users and political leaders alleging that the higher ethanol blend has reduced fuel efficiency and, in some cases, caused engine-related problems in older vehicles.
At a press conference, Vartika Shukla, former chairperson and managing director of Engineers India Limited, said India’s ethanol blending program was the result of years of scientific assessment and consultation.
“This has not been done overnight. This is a measured, scientifically driven, step-by-step process,” he said, according to news agency ANI.
Highlighting the progress of the programme, Shukla said ethanol blending in petrol increased from about 1.5% in 2013-14 to 20% by December 2025, helping India achieve its target five years ahead of schedule. “This program is supported by scientific evidence and extensive testing by automobile manufacturers, the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM),” he said.
Shukla said India has adopted practices already adopted by countries such as the United States, Brazil, Canada and Germany, and added that higher ethanol blending has reduced dependence on imported crude, helping improve the country’s energy security during geopolitical uncertainty.
Automakers say testing found no unusual wear or damage
Representatives of major automobile manufacturers said that laboratory testing, certification practices and real-world vehicle data do not support claims that E20 gasoline causes engine damage or excessive wear in vehicles designed for lower ethanol blends.
Vikram Gulati, country head and executive vice president, corporate affairs and governance, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said vehicles sold in India undergo rigorous tests. “The vehicles that are made available to consumers are extremely well engineered, well designed and they have a huge element of monitoring through technically sound testing agencies,” he said.
Describing ethanol as “a very good fuel”, Gulati said it has performed well and also helped in reducing emissions. “In an era when we are facing the issue of climate change…it is a zero carbon fuel because it is derived from plants,” he said.
He also said ethanol blending has helped protect consumers and the economy from volatility in global crude oil markets.
Rahul Bharti, senior executive officer, corporate affairs, Maruti Suzuki India, addressed the concerns related to vehicles originally designed for E10 petrol. “As a manufacturer, we have tested E10 cars on E20 fuel on all parameters and we have not found anything of concern,” Bharti said.
He said the company has incorporated adequate engineering safety margins to ensure that there will be no problems related to wear, corrosion or component life even if E20 fuel is used in vehicles produced before 2023.
Hero MotoCorp Chief Business Officer Ashutosh Verma said the company’s service data from millions of two-wheelers has also supported the safety of E20 petrol.
“We analyze millions of years of service data that we have and there is no incidence of more damage to vehicles running on E20 than to vehicles running on fuel prior to E20,” Verma said.
Debate on E20: What did Gadkari say?
The industry’s comments come days after concerns grew on social media and in political circles over E20 petrol. Among those who raised the issue was Bohar’s YouTuber and Jan Suraj Party activist Manish Kashyap, who in a widely shared video claimed that his vehicle developed engine-related problems after running on E20 petrol, alleging that the damage was caused by the high ethanol blend. Toyota denied the claims without naming them and said the problem was due to contaminated fuel in general, not E20.
Similar claims from some motorists focus on low mileage, increased maintenance costs and compatibility with older vehicles. No official investigation has established any causal link between E20 fuel and the reported mechanical issues, a point the government has previously stressed.
Earlier this week, Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari rejected allegations that E20 harms petrol engines, calling such reports “false”.
“Show me one vehicle which has been damaged due to E20 petrol,” Gadkari said. He also said that scientific studies have found no evidence of engine damage from E20.
The Center has projected ethanol blending as a key pillar of its clean energy strategy, saying it reduces dependence on imported crude oil, reduces vehicular emissions and creates additional income opportunities for farmers through higher demand for ethanol feedstock. India achieved the target of blending 20% ethanol in petrol by the end of 2025, five years ahead of its original deadline.
