E20 fuel range: Who said what as Gadkari, Puri double down on blended ethanol, Kejriwal seeks reassurance from three carmakers? | Today’s news

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday proposed hydrogen as India’s next transport fuel after ethanol fuel.

In his speech at the Navbharat conclave, Gadkari claimed to personally drive a hydrogen vehicle and said trucks and buses running on the fuel are expected to hit Indian roads soon.

“I drive electric vehicles, flex-fuel vehicles and hydrogen; I have all three at home right now,” he said. “I have all three cars at home. Those who understand, come to my house after the program and drive all three cars.”

Quick answers to key questions

•5 QUESTIONS

Concerns with E20 fuel include potential higher maintenance costs, reduced fuel economy, and engine corrosion, especially in vehicles that are only compatible with E10 fuel.

Kejriwal demanded written assurances clarifying that E20 fuel would not damage engines or reduce mileage, citing discrepancies between carmakers’ public statements and instructions in their vehicle manuals.

The Indian government has dismissed the concerns as a false statement, saying that thorough testing has ensured the compatibility of E20 fuel with vehicles designed for E10.

The ARAI report states that while E20 fuel can negatively affect rubber fuel system components in E10-compatible vehicles, it does not adversely affect metal components.

Vehicle owners should be careful if their vehicles are not E20 compatible, as there may be a risk of reduced performance or damage, especially with older models designed for lower ethanol blends.

“Hydrogen trucks are now coming. I recently launched Tata’s hydrogen-powered trucks – one on a hydrogen fuel cell and a new one that uses an internal combustion (IC) engine modified to run on hydrogen,” he said.

Read also | E25 petrol rollout reports ‘absolutely false’, testing still underway: Govt

Gadkari’s comments come at a time when public frustration with ethanol-laced fuel is growing, but the government has yet to accept or discuss the impact of E20 petrol on some cars.

Demonstration in New Delhi

On Sunday, motorists took to the streets of Delhi looking for an option between regular diesel and petrol and E20 fuel.

Motorists said switching to E20 fuel would mean higher maintenance bills, poorer fuel economy and also engine corrosion, Bloomberg reported.

“A car is the second most expensive thing the middle class buys,” political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla, who led the protests in Delhi, told reporters. “The government has imposed E20 fuel on citizens who have E10 fuel compatible vehicles and they are now facing the consequences.”

What did the oil minister say

Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday rejected such allegations, instead claiming that reports of customers’ problems with E20 fuel were “distortions”. Puri emphasized that the transition to the higher E25 blend will take place only after tests are completed and discussions with car manufacturers.

“The car manufacturers, as well as the people who operate these vehicles, all say it’s not a problem. Why the sudden interest?” he said according to ANI. “It’s a distortion and I don’t want to use stronger words.

“We have been using E15 for the last three and a half years. We have been on E20 since April last year. It is already a year from April 2025 to April 2026 and now we are another five months away,” he also said.

He assured that the government will not rush the introduction of E25: “If anyone is suggesting that we are rushing to introduce E25, that is incorrect. We have made it clear that the tests are ongoing. These tests will take time. Once the reports are available, we will evaluate them and then consult all stakeholders, including car manufacturers.”

No case of car facing problem due to E20 petrol: Gadkari

At the same event, Gadkari also dismissed the idea that E20 petrol was damaging vehicles. He dared critics to identify a single car that faced such problems. He claimed that such allegations are being made as part of a “paid campaign”.

“There is no instance of any car facing problems due to E20 gasoline. Has there been any car in the country that has had problems due to E20 gasoline? Just name one.”

“…false narratives are being spread about the introduction of gasoline with higher ethanol content. These are paid campaigns,” he said.

What does the unpublished ARAI report say?

An unpublished report by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) found that using E20 fuel on E10-compatible vehicles can cause deterioration of rubber fuel system components, according to a Times of India report.

The ARAI report also claimed that this can cause a negative effect on components such as gaskets, seals, hoses and O-rings.

The study also reported that E20 fuel does not adversely affect metal components and emissions also remain within prescribed limits.

Read also | Petrol dealers urge Center to review E20 rollout, say carburettors are getting stuck

What industry leaders are saying

“We have not seen any glaring issues on social media that would warrant a re-evaluation of the government’s biofuel blending program,” said Puneet Anand, associate vice president of Hyundai Motor India, according to a Bloomberg report.

Rahul Bharti, managing director of Maruti Suzuki India, stated that E20 fuel is compatible with E10 certified vehicles as well.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor India chief Vikram Gulati said the case that went viral online involving a Toyota Innova Hycross that allegedly suffered damage due to E20 petrol was later found to be due to the use of contaminated fuel instead of blending ethanol.

Kejriwal wants written assurances from automakers

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal said on Tuesday that he will write to the three car companies seeking written assurances from them that using E20 fuel does not damage engines or reduce mileage.

At a press conference on Tuesday, the former Delhi chief minister named Suzuki, Toyota Kirloskar and Hero MotoCorp, claiming their public statements were against the guidelines printed in their own vehicle manuals.

“I will write letters to all of them that they lied. I will tell them that your owner’s manual says one thing but you say something else. Put it in writing that if the mileage of your vehicle goes down by more than 10 percent, you will compensate the customer,” Kejriwal said, according to PTI.

“If using E20 ethanol in your vehicle damages the vehicle or causes wear and tear, will you compensate for the replacement of these components?” added Kejriwal.

“There are 22 million motorcycles in India that are not E20 compliant. They cannot use E20. There are eight million cars that are not E20 compliant. Because of the government’s insistence, 30 million vehicles are at risk; 31 million vehicles could become scrap,” the AAP chief said.