Supreme Court Dismisses Plea Against E20 Petrol Rollout

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea that challenged the nationwide rollout of 20% Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP-20) and sought the option of ethanol-free petrol.

A bench of Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran passed the order after the Central government opposed the plea and claimed that E20 fuel benefits sugarcane farmers. The government also questioned the credentials of the petitioner, advocate Akshay Malhotra, Bar and Bench reported.

According to the petitioner, vehicles manufactured in India prior to April 2023 are not compatible with ethanol mix petrol and vehicles as recent as two years old. The BS-VI compliant vehicles are also not compatible with ethanol mixed petrol wherein the percentage of ethanol is 20%.

Moreover, the PIL alleged ethanol blending causes corrosion of engine parts, lowers fuel efficiency and leads to and premature wear and tear of vehicles, citing automobile manufacturers and reports of research bodies.

The government has been proactive in promoting the use of E20 petrol and has continued the swift rollout of the product. However, as per a recent survery, 28% of older petrol car users have reported side-effects of using E20.

Indeed, a fresh survey from Local Circles — done through 37,000 responses from 331 districts across India — suggests the concerns are real for some of the older petrol cars.

Among those who bought the vehicle in 2022 or earlier, 28% of them say they have faced unusual wear and tear or have had to go for repairs this year, for parts such as the engine, fuel line, tank or carburettor.

The same survey also suggests that if E20 were offered as an optional product at a 20% lower price, rather than a flat mandate at the same price, 52% said they would support it.

It must be remembered, though, that the centre had earlier dismissed earlier reports about the negative impact of E20 fuel on older cars.