India, July 30 -- The Government of India has issued a release:
As seen from the table,the progression has been gradual:
Ethanol Supply Year
Average Blending(%)
2013-14
~1.53
2020-21
~8.1
2021-22
~10
2022-23
~12
2023-24
~14.6
2024-25
~19.2
2025-26 (Nov-June)
20
Certain misleading claims regarding the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme have recently been circulated in the media and on social media. The following point-wise clarifications, based on scientific validation, extensive field experience and industry data, address these claims and present the factual position.
Claim 1: Vehicles manufactured before 2023 cannot run on E20 petrol.
Claim 2: Nearly 30 crore vehicles will become unusable.
E15+ blended petrol has already been in widespread use for more than three and a half years, while E19-E20 fuel has been in use for over two and a half years.
During this period:
If E20 really rendered vehicles unusable, India would have witnessed millions of breakdowns, warranty claims and service campaigns. Nothing of that sort has occurred.
Claim 3: Automobile manufacturers have privately indicated that E20 is not desirable.
On 4 July 2026, the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, along with the Ministry of Heavy Industries and the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, convened a joint press conference where senior executives from Toyota Kirloskar, Maruti Suzuki, Hero MotoCorp, Hyundai Motor India, TVS Motor Company and Bajaj Auto collectively addressed concerns regarding E20. Their position was unequivocal:
Claim 4: Older vehicles are at risk.
A leading automobile manufacturer serviced 2.84 crore vehicles during FY 2025-26.
Among them were approximately 1.5 crore vehicles that were never originally certified as E20-compatible.
Despite this,
A leading two-wheeler manufacturer has reported similar field experience, while another OEM tracked 1.4 crore E20-operated vehicles over an extended period and found no evidence of ethanol-induced corrosion.
Claim 5: Mileage will collapse.
Government studies and automobile manufacturers have consistently explained that fuel efficiency depends on multiple factors, including:
For certain older E10-designed vehicles, any reduction in fuel economy is generally limited to about 3-5%, not the exaggerated figures being circulated.
At the same time, E20 provides:
Claim 6: Manufacturers are being forced to support E20.
Had automobile manufacturers not been satisfied with the scientific validation, they would neither
Manufacturers continue to honour warranties for vehicles operating on specification-compliant E20 fuel because they have confidence in the extensive testing that preceded the rollout.
Claim 7: Automobile companies are under Government pressure to hide the truth about E20.
Their statements were backed by real-world service data:
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
