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Industry experts defend E20 petrol amid engine damage claims; say fuel safe for older vehicles: ‘Years of testing’
Clarification came amid growing debate over E20, with even political leaders alleging the ethanol blend led to reduced fuel efficiency and engine problems.
Industry experts and leading automobile manufacturers on Saturday sought to allay concerns over the use of ethanol-blended petrol, asserting that the 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 came amid a growing public debate over E20, with some motorists, social media users and political leaders alleging that the higher ethanol blend has led to reduced fuel efficiency and, in some cases, engine-related problems in older vehicles.
At a press conference, former Engineers India Limited chairman and managing director Vartika Shukla said India's ethanol blending programme was the result of years of scientific evaluation and consultation.
"This has not been done overnight. It is a measured, scientifically driven, step-by-step process," she said, as per news agency ANI.
Highlighting the programme's progress, Shukla said ethanol blending in petrol had increased from around 1.5% in 2013-14 to 20% by December 2025, allowing India to achieve its target five years ahead of schedule. “The programme is backed by scientific evidence and extensive testing” by automobile manufacturers, the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), she said.
Shukla added that India had adopted practices already followed by countries such as the United States, Brazil, Canada and Germany, and said higher ethanol blending had reduced dependence on imported crude oil, helping improve the country's energy security during periods of geopolitical uncertainty.
Automakers say tests found no abnormal wear or damage
Representatives of major automobile manufacturers said laboratory testing, certification exercises and real-world vehicle data did not support claims that E20 petrol 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. “Vehicles that are made available to consumers are extremely well engineered, well designed and have a very immense element of oversight through technically sound testing agencies,” he said.
Calling ethanol “a very good fuel”, Gulati said it delivered good performance while also helping reduce emissions. “In an era when we are facing the issue of climate change... this is a zero carbon fuel because it's derived from plants,” he said.
He also said ethanol blending had helped cushion consumers and the economy from volatility in global crude oil markets.
Rahul Bharti, corporate affairs senior executive officer at Maruti Suzuki India, addressed concerns relating to vehicles originally designed for E10 petrol. “As a manufacturer, we have tested E10 cars... on E20 fuel for all parameters and we have not found anything of concern,” Bharti said.
He added that the company had incorporated sufficient engineering safety margins to ensure there would be no issues related to wear and tear, corrosion or component life even when pre-2023 vehicles use E20 fuel.
Hero MotoCorp Chief Business Officer Ashutosh Verma said the company's service data from millions of two-wheelers also supported the safety of E20 petrol.
“We analyse crores of service data that we have, and there is no incidence whatsoever of any higher damage with vehicles that run on E20 than the vehicles that were running on fuels prior to E20,” Verma said.
Debate over E20: What Gadkari said
The industry's remarks come days after concerns over E20 petrol gained traction on social media and in political circles. Among those raising the issue was YouTuber and Jan Suraaj Party activist Manish Kashyap from Bohar, who claimed in a widely shared video that his vehicle developed engine-related problems after running on E20 petrol, alleging the higher ethanol blend had caused the damage. Toyota denied the claim, without naming him, and said the issue was due to contaminated fuel in general, not E20.
Similar claims by some motorists have centred on reduced mileage, increased maintenance costs and compatibility with older vehicles. No official investigation has established a causal link between E20 fuel and the reported mechanical issues, the government has stressed in the past too.,
Earlier this week, Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari dismissed allegations that E20 petrol damages engines, calling such reports “false”.
“Show me one vehicle that has been damaged because of E20 petrol,” Gadkari said. He also maintained that scientific studies had found no evidence of E20 causing engine damage.
The Centre has projected ethanol blending as a key pillar of its clean energy strategy, saying it reduces dependence on imported crude oil, lowers vehicular emissions and creates additional income opportunities for farmers through higher demand for ethanol feedstock. India achieved its target of 20% ethanol blending in petrol by the end of 2025, five years ahead of its original deadline.
