The Union Minister, in a written reply in Lok Sabha, stated that no evidence of engine failure has come to light due to E20 fuel
Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways, informed the Parliament that E20 flex fuel can reduce the mileage of a vehicle by 2% to 6%, depending on the age and segment. He further added that after carrying out extensive testing, not a single evidence of engine failure has come to light due to the usage of ethanol-blended fuel as of now. Presently, E20 fuel has been standardized across the country as primary fuel which is a mixture of 80 percent petrol and 20 percent ethanol.
“The fuel efficiency of vehicles may be reduced by 2 to 6 per cent depending on the vehicle category and vintage. The tests for engine durability on a dynamometer and vehicle tests on road have not shown any failures due to E20,” Gadkari said. In the last few days, there has been a huge uproar among people regarding the adverse effects of E20 fuel on their vehicles.
In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Gadkari stated that joint studies have been conducted by several agencies such as the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL). The studies found out that E20 fuel reduces the fuel efficiency marginally while improving the acceleration and ensuring better ride quality.
The studies carried out by these agencies made out that usage of E20 fuel is also helpful for the environment as it releases around 30 percent lower carbon emissions than E10 fuel. The Union Minister in his reply stated that the studies were performed on BS-III, BS-IV and BS-VI petrol-powered two-wheelers and four-wheelers using standard certification procedures as well as customised testing protocols developed in consultation with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
The E20 petrol, comprising of 20 percent ethanol and 80 percent petrol, has been drawing a lot of flak from vehicle owners due to declining mileage and higher maintenance costs. A few cases of damage in the fuel system and engine have also been reported in the older vehicles from the various parts of the country. The major brands have maintained that the standard engine warranty claims will be honoured for all the vehicles running on E20 fuel.
Garkari concluded by stating that the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme has come into effect through a phased and consultative process which involved multiple stakeholders in the form of NITI Aayog, oil marketing companies, automobile manufacturers, ARAI, SIAM, the Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) and other technical institutions. The E20 fuel has been in use for more than two-and-a-half years.
