E20 Petrol Reduces Mileage, But…: What Ministry Said?

It is already known that India is one of the few countries which is actively blending it ethanol with petroleum for commercial use. There has been a lot of debate happening on this topic regarding the effect that it can have on the vehicles.Now something pretty significant has happened as the Indian petroleum ministry has reacted on this topic and categorically confirmed the specifications regarding the blending of ethanol with petrol.

India’s transition to E20 ethanol-blended petrol was built on years of scientific testing, industry consultations, and field validation, the Petroleum Ministry said on Friday.It was confirmed by the petroleum ministry by acknowledging that some vehicles may see a 3–5 per cent drop in fuel economy. This would essentially mean that using ethanol oriented petrol can reduce the mileage of vehicles by around 5%.

Responding to concerns around ethanol-blended fuel, the ministry said the debate should not be reduced to mileage alone.It argued that E20 delivers several advantages, including a higher octane rating, improved anti-knock properties, cleaner combustion, smoother acceleration, and reduced lifecycle carbon emissions.

Considering the widespread protest against the blending of ethanol with petroleum that is catching up already, it has to be seen how the Indian public would react to this reduced mileage now.