E20 Petrol:  From chitchat among friends to genuine concerns among vehicle owners, E20 petrol has surely made its place as a hot topic across the country. Concerns regarding ethanol-blended fuel have also reached parliament, and the government has clarified several concerns regarding the fuel type. The government recently told the Rajya Sabha that some older BS-3 vehicles might need rubber part replacements when running on E20 petrol.

‘BS-3 Vehicles Might Need Part Replacement’

Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, said that ‘In case of testing done on BS-III vehicles introduced from 1st April, 2005 and manufactured before 2016, some rubber parts and gaskets may require replacement, which can be easily managed during routine servicing regime of the vehicle’. Gadkari was responding to a question raised by AA Rahim, MP from Communist Party of India (CPI). The Union Minister cited findings of a study conducted by the Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP), IndianOil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), and Society of Indian Automotive Manufacturers (SIAM).

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No Other Vehicle Type Affected

The Union Minister further shared that other than the BS-3 vehicles, the study showed no need for modification in any car or two-wheeler engine. He said, “These studies confirmed that even legacy vehicles did not exhibit any significant variations in performance, nor do they show abnormal wear-and-tear when operated with E20 fuel.”

The government has also shared that no evidence of widespread engine failure or vehicle breakdown can be attributed to E20 petrol. Suresh Gopi, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, had shared in one of his previous replies that "More than 20 crore two-wheelers and over 3 crore petrol cars, including a large number of older vehicles manufactured before E20 certification, have been operating on these fuels without any verified evidence of widespread engine failure or vehicle breakdown attributable to ethanol blending."

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E20 Petrol And Mileage

Suresh Gopi, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, also addressed the concerns regarding mileage drop in the Rajya Sabha and said that the E20 mileage drop may range from 3 to 5 per cent in non-compatible old vehicles that were originally designed to operate on E10 fuel standards. Gopi also said that fuel economy is subject to several other factors, including driving style, tyre pressure, vehicle maintenance, wheel alignment, and air conditioning.


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