The Government of India has dismissed what it called as "misleading claims" surrounding the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme, saying there is no verified evidence that E20 fuel has caused widespread engine damage, rendered older vehicles unusable or led to systemic performance issues.
According to a Press Information Bureau (PIB) release, the Centre noted that E15-plus fuel has been in widespread use for more than three-and-a-half years, while E19-E20 blends have been used for over two-and-a-half years without reports of large-scale engine failures or vehicle breakdowns attributable to ethanol blending.
The government said India's ethanol blending programme has been implemented in phases since a pilot project in 2001, with average blending levels rising gradually from about 1.53% in 2013-14 to 20% between November 2025 and June 2026.
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It said the rollout followed scientific validation, stakeholder consultations and infrastructure development involving automobile manufacturers, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), component makers and oil marketing companies.
The PIB said around eight crore vehicles visit fuel stations every day, while a leading automobile manufacturer serviced 2.84 crore vehicles in FY26, including about 1.5 crore that were not originally certified as E20-compatible, without reporting E20-related corrosion, abnormal wear or reduced component life.
Another manufacturer tracked 1.4 crore E20-operated vehicles and similarly found no ethanol-induced corrosion, while a leading two-wheeler maker reported comparable field experience.
Rejecting the claims that nearly 30 crore vehicles could become unusable, the government said more than 20 crore two-wheelers and over three crore petrol cars have already operated on higher ethanol blends without verified evidence of widespread failures.
The government also rejected allegations that automobile manufacturers were privately opposed to E20 or were being pressured to support it.
It is cited that on July 4, 2026, a joint press conference was held attended by senior executives from Toyota Kirloskar, Maruti Suzuki, Hero MotoCorp, Hyundai Motor India, TVS Motor Company and Bajaj Auto, who reaffirmed confidence in the programme after extensive testing.
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According to the PIB, manufacturers said any reduction in fuel efficiency for certain older E10-designed vehicles is generally limited to 3%-5%, while E20 offers benefits such as a higher octane rating, cleaner combustion and improved anti-knock performance.
The government added that oil marketing companies continue to conduct fuel quality checks at more than 30,000 retail outlets, while manufacturers continue to honour warranties for vehicles using specification-compliant E20 fuel.
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