Experts emphasise E20 compliant, thoroughly tested amid raging concerns

Amid raging concerns about the impact of the petrol fuel blended with one-fifth ethanol on vehicles, automobile makers and experts in a press conference here Saturday sought to reassure about there being no impact and the blending paradigm having followed thorough testing measures.

The press conference, addressed by a panel of experts and automakers, sought to allay persisting concerns about the blended fuel variant.

In fact, the same day – responding to a viral social media clip indicating a high-end Toyota vehicle being damaged because of the blended fuel, the automaker attributed it to fuel contamination and not to the compatibility with E20.

It said that, per its service protocol, the fuel tank and fuel lines were drained and thoroughly cleaned, and the vehicle was refilled with Standard E20 fuel. “The vehicle was inspected and found normal; then it was delivered to the customer,” the company said.

The video gathered millions of views, among other things, and highlighted multiple related complaints, which have also attracted the attention of the government and automakers alike as they seek to address the same and certify the authenticity and scientific basis of E20.

Separately, speaking to reporters, Rahul Bharti, Senior Executive Officer (Corporate Affairs) at Maruti Suzuki, sought to emphasise that there have been no cases of wear-and-tear or corrosion in engines because of the use of the E20 fuel even in non-compliant vehicles.

“We have sufficient factors of safety – in terms of wear and tear, corrosion or damage to the life of parts that come in contact with E20 fuels for cars that were sold in India before 2023,” said Mr. Bharti, adding, “As a manufacturer, we have tested E10 cars which were prevalent before 2023 on E20 fuel for all parameters and found nothing of concern.”

For context, Petrol containing a 20% ethanol blend was formally launched in February 2023. Ethanol blending of 19.99% was achieved in December 2025.

While the senior executives did point to the blending paradigm being backed by multiple trials, including that by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), the report – indicating the sample size and type – is not yet public.

In response to a question from The Hindu on the same, the executives responded that accessing the report may require a separate login and registration. Despite scanning as per the prescribed procedure, the report could not be found.

‘Minimal impact’

Separately, Mr. Bharti also elaborated that the 1.5 crore cars of the overall 2.84 crore cars the company serviced in fiscal year 2025-26 – reported no issues relating to corrosion, wear and tear or damage to components.

Specifically, on mileage, he stated – considering the one-fifth blended fuel has a lower calorific value than its predecessor, E10 – the mileage drops by “about 3 to 3.5%” in comparison.

The senior Maruti Suzuki official also stated that safety parameters in present vehicles are compliant with running on fuel blends beyond E20, although he did not specify the extent.