Government’s reply in the House on ethanol
There has been a lot of uproar in the country for some time regarding blending of ethanol with petrol. A section of people has alleged that the government suddenly implemented E20 petrol in the entire country without adequate preparation and without taking the consumers into confidence, due to which there were complaints of vehicle engine breakdown, reduced mileage and technical problems. Amidst this controversy, the government has now presented its position in detail in the Parliament. However, even before this the government has issued a formal release and talked about all the aspects. But now the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas clarified in the Lok Sabha that whatever decisions were taken regarding ethanol blending, they have been taken only on the basis of scientific study and technical testing and till now no irregularities have been revealed in the inspection of about 3 crore vehicles. Let us understand whatever the government has said through questions and answers.
Question- Is premium petrol exempted from ethanol?
answer- The government has clarified that normal petrol sold in the country is being sold with a maximum of 20% ethanol blend i.e. E20, but the policy is different for premium and high-octane petrol. Public sector oil companies said that Indian Oil’s XP100, Hindustan Petroleum’s Power100 and Bharat Petroleum’s Speed100 petrol are completely ethanol-free i.e. E0. However, the share of this premium petrol is only 0.5% in the total petrol sales, that is, in the remaining 99.5% market, only E20 petrol is being sold.
Question- Is E25 or E27 going to be implemented now?
answer- The government has also put an end to speculations about increasing ethanol blending after E20. The ministry said in Parliament that at present no decision has been taken to implement blending of more than 20% ethanol in petrol, i.e. like E25 or E27. The government says that if any step is taken in this direction in future, then scientific research, technical testing and extensive discussions will be done with automobile companies, oil marketing companies and research institutes. That means for now only the limit of 20% will remain intact.
Question- Has there been evidence of engine damage due to E20?
answer- This has been the most controversial question. According to the ministry, the move to E20 was a phased, consultation-based and scientifically tested move. For this, extensive discussions were held with auto companies, ARAI, SIAM and oil marketing companies and aspects like material compatibility, engine performance, fuel system, driving performance and emissions were assessed before the rollout.
According to the data, a major OEM serviced 2.84 crore vehicles in FY26, including 1.5 crore vehicles that were not initially certified for E20, yet no cases of corrosion or abnormal wear were found. A major 2-wheeler company also had a similar experience. Long-term data from another OEM’s 14 million E20 vehicles also found no evidence of harm from ethanol. ARAI also confirmed that every vehicle undergoes rigorous testing on international standards before hitting the market. 3 crore+ cars and 20 crore+ two-wheelers across the country are running on E20, and the companies are also continuing their warranty without any interruption.
Question- Why is there no separate labeling on petrol pumps?
answer- A big question is also being raised that when there are three types of petrol available in the market, E0, E10 and E20, then why are they not being labeled separately at petrol pumps. On this, the government’s argument is that at present the normal petrol sold at public sector petrol pumps is entirely E20, whereas E0 or E10 petrol is not being sold separately. In such a situation, when the option does not exist, there is no justification for applying different labels, hence there is no such proposal at present. However, the government clarified that where 85% ethanol blended E85 petrol is sold, it is clearly displayed as this fuel is designated only for flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) and not for normal vehicles.
Overall, the government’s stance is that all steps taken regarding ethanol blending have been taken on scientific basis, in a phased manner and only after adequate testing. Neither is there any discrimination being done under the guise of premium petrol, nor are there any plans to increase the amount of ethanol further, nor has there been any verified evidence of E20 causing engine damage. With this answer given in Parliament, the government has tried to put an end to the controversy, although further questions may continue to be raised on this from the opposition and consumer organizations.
Also read- Petrol without ethanol will not come back, the government made it clear in the Parliament.
