Gadkari says E20 petrol has not damaged vehicles and may improve mileage

India’s Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has said ethanol-blended E20 petrol has not caused problems for vehicles and may have improved average mileage, citing a report whose details he did not disclose. Gadkari made the statement in Bhopal on September 25 while speaking at the launch of the Mukhyamantri Sugam Parivahan Seva and PM e-bus Seva in Madhya Pradesh. He said ethanol-blended petrol had been used in India since 2022.

According to the minister, the fuel is currently being used in four crore four-wheelers and 20 million two-wheelers across the country. He said he was confident that no vehicle had faced problems and added that a recent report indicated average mileage had increased. Gadkari did not identify the report or provide supporting data.

He also said the transport sector contributes about 40% of India’s air pollution and advocated electric vehicles and flex-fuel engines as ways to reduce emissions. The minister said automobile companies would begin manufacturing vehicles with flex-fuel engines capable of running on 100% ethanol. He argued that wider use of alternative fuels could reduce India’s need to import petrol and diesel, which he valued at ₹22 lakh crore.

Gadkari said money saved through reduced fuel imports would benefit farmers and raise their incomes. He described farmers as having moved beyond their role as food providers to becoming energy providers because of ethanol production. He cited maize prices as an example, saying maize had sold for ₹1,200 per quintal when its minimum support price was ₹1,800, while farmers in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were then receiving ₹2,600.

He also said ₹45,000 crore had gone to farmers, without providing further details. Gadkari added that the Centre would begin operating hydrogen-powered trucks and buses on 10 routes. The remarks were made at the launch of the new government bus services in Bhopal.