Sale of E85 fuel has officially started in Delhi. It is much cheaper than regular petrol and its purpose is to increase the fuel security of the country. To use this fuel, specially designed flex-fuel vehicles will be required.
New Delhi: There has been a big stir in the automobile and fuel sector of the country. E85 fuel has finally officially arrived in the country’s capital Delhi. This is a major milestone for India in the journey of ethanol-blending. This new fuel is attracting people’s attention between electric and petrol vehicles. Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated the first E85 fuel dispensing station at ‘Indian Oil’ petrol pump on Pusa Road, Delhi. With this, commercial sale of this high-ethanol fuel has started.
How much is the price? How is it cheaper than petrol?
The price of E85 fuel in Delhi has been fixed at Rs 82.12 per liter. This is about Rs 20 cheaper than the normal E20 petrol sold in the city. To avoid any confusion to customers at fuel stations, separate branding and special labeling has been done on E85 dispenser machines. Launching this fuel is part of the government’s strategy to reduce dependence on crude oil imports and strengthen India’s fuel security.
What is the government’s plan next?
This station on Pusa Road is Delhi’s first E85 fuel station, but this is just the beginning. Initially, the government plans to open about 50 to 100 E85 fuel stations in the Delhi-NCR and Mumbai-Pune-Nagpur corridors. It is expected to expand this network to about 500 stations by the end of this year. The central government aims to operationalize around 5,000 E85 outlets across major cities in the country by the end of 2027.
Recently, the government has also set standards for fuels with high ethanol mix like E22, E25, E27 and E30, which has made the path to adoption of alternative fuels in the country easier.
What is E85 fuel and why is it different?
Currently, the E20 petrol available in the market contains 20% ethanol and 80% petrol. But, the E85 fuel now launched will contain 85% ethanol and only 15% petrol. Ethanol is produced indigenously from agricultural feedstocks. This will reduce the use of crude oil significantly and the daily expenses of the drivers will also reduce. Its low price is the biggest reason to attract customers.
In which vehicles can it be used?
E85 fuel cannot be used in normal or conventional petrol vehicles. It can only be used in flex-fuel vehicles that have been specifically designed or calibrated for this high-ethanol mix. Some of the major flex-fuel vehicles present or soon to be launched in the Indian market are:
- Maruti Suzuki WagonR Flex Fuel (Yet to Launch)
- Hero Splendor+ Flex Fuel
- Hero HF Deluxe Flex Fuel
- Suzuki Gixxer SF FFV
Maruti Suzuki’s WagonR flex fuel car is significant as it is India’s first passenger car that has been developed to run on ethanol blends up to E100. It is fully compatible with E85 fuel.
At the same time, Hero MotoCorp has recently launched flex-fuel versions of Splendor+ and HF Deluxe in its popular 100cc segment. With this, it has become the country’s first flex-fuel bike manufacturing company. These motorcycles can run on fuel ranging from E20 to E85 and will be available for sale in Delhi and select areas of Maharashtra from July 2026.
India has already achieved nationwide availability of E20 petrol ahead of schedule and is now ready for the next step. As more flex-fuel vehicles enter the market in the coming years, E85 will emerge as a great low-cost option for consumers and reduce the country’s import bill.