New Delhi: The Centre has defended India’s E20 ethanol petrol programme in Parliament, saying there is no verified evidence of widespread engine failures
linked to the fuel. Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said more than 23 crore vehicles have been running on E15+ and E20 petrol for over two-and-a-half years.
The statement comes as many vehicle owners continue to raise questions about mileage, rubber parts, fuel lines and long-term engine life. The government accepted that some older vehicles made for E10 petrol may see a 2% to 6% fall in fuel efficiency. That is the part most drivers will notice first, especially during daily city use.
What the government said about engine safety
According to the Centre, more than 20 crore two-wheelers and over 3 crore petrol cars have used higher ethanol blends without verified evidence of mass breakdowns caused by E20.
The government cited service data from a major carmaker that handled 2.84 crore vehicles in FY26. This included around 1.5 crore older vehicles. The records reportedly showed no unusual corrosion, engine damage or shorter component life linked to E20.
A leading two-wheeler company also reported no higher rate of damage among vehicles using the fuel.
Petrol could have reached ₹125 per litre, Centre claims
The ministry said ethanol blending helped limit fuel price pressure during the recent West Asia crisis. It claimed petrol could have reached around ₹125 per litre during the peak of the crisis.
Consumers in Delhi continued to pay ₹94.77 per litre, partly as public sector oil companies bought ethanol at around ₹70 per litre, according to the statement.
The government said oil companies still faced an under-recovery of nearly ₹21,300 crore on petrol during February and March 2026.
What E20 means for car and bike owners
E20 contains 20% ethanol and 80% petrol. Newer vehicles are increasingly built to handle this blend.
Owners of older cars and motorcycles should check the owner’s manual, service records and fuel compatibility label. Regular inspection of hoses, seals and fuel-system parts can help spot wear early.
The Centre said ethanol blending has saved about ₹1.98 lakh crore in foreign exchange, replaced nearly 317 lakh metric tonnes of crude oil and generated over ₹1.66 lakh crore in extra farmer income.
