E85 Fuel Launched: What It Is And Whether Your Vehicle Can Use It

E85 fuel is finally here. The government recently inaugurated the country's first E85 dispensing station at IndianOil's Pusa Road outlet in Delhi. And, this development has left many people confused about whether E85 is set to replace existing fuels or if E20 will eventually disappear. The questions about its cost, availability, and compatibility are building uncertainty. To clear the confusion, E85 is a fuel in itself and not an upgrade to petrol. It has been introduced as a separate fuel grade to support sustainable mobility in India. Here's everything you need to know about what E85 is, how much it costs, and whether your current car or bike can run on it.

E85 Fuel Explained: What It Is and How Much It Costs?

The E85 is a new fuel category that contains up to 85% ethanol and only 15% petrol.

It is different from E20 fuel, where the percentage of petrol is higher, i.e, 80%, and the ethanol content is 20%. The E20 is what most vehicles currently in India drink. The E85 costs Rs 82.12 per litre, which is around Rs 20 cheaper than the E20, priced at 102.12 per litre. These rates apply to Delhi.

E85 vs E20: Price Gap And Real-World Savings

The price difference of Rs 20 is doing much of the heavy lifting in building buzz around the new fuel. Even on the paper, the savings look substantial. If you fill a 35-litre tank with E85 instead of E20, you could save around Rs 700. However, there is an important catch buyers should understand.

Ethanol contains less energy per litre than petrol. A flex-fuel vehicle, while running on E85, will drink more fuel to cover the same distance. As a result of this, fuel efficiency can dip by about 20% to 30% compared to using regular petrol. This means the real calculation is not the price per litre, but the cost per kilometre.

Let's take an example. If your vehicle delivers 15km/l on E20, it may return around 11-12km/l on E85. At current fuel prices, the lower cost of E85 makes up for the reduction in mileage. Hence, you can see that the E85 has been thoughtfully kept Rs 20 less than E20. The Government did the math, knowing that the mileage drop on E85 would eat into savings, so they kept the price low enough that buyers would still benefit. For now, E85 is available at a limited number of fuel stations and enjoys a notable price advantage over E20. If that gap narrows as the fuel expands to more cities, the savings could reduce as well. Ultimately, the success of E85 will depend on whether it remains meaningfully cheaper for buyers in the long run.

Also Read: 5 Simple Eco-Friendly Driving Tips to Boost Mileage Instantly

Whether Your Current Vehicle Can Use E85 Fuel?

No, your current car cannot run on E85, and that matters. E85 is not a fuel that can be used in every petrol vehicle. Filling E85 in a regular petrol or E20-compliant vehicle can damage fuel system components and affect performance. Only flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) are designed to run on E85, as they use ethanol-resistant fuel lines, seals, and engine components, along with software that automatically adjusts to different ethanol blends. Currently, the Maruti Suzuki WagonR Flex Fuel is India's only passenger car developed for E85. Hero MotoCorp offers the Splendor+ and HF Deluxe in flex-fuel form. We anticipate more cars and bikes to make it to the list, including the Maruti Suzuki Fronx Flex Fuel and Tata Punch Flex Fuel. However, there is no official word on it as of now.