The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) has issued a clarification regarding a social media post (image inserted), stating that no such standee was put up in any petrol pump.
The Ministry on the social media platform ‘X’ put on 5th October, confirmed that the contents in the display standee shown were verified, and it has been confirmed that no such standees are present at any petrol pump today.
The Ministry said that while pure Ethanol has a hygroscopic nature, the Ethanol Blended Petrol / E20 supplied by Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) conforms to BIS specifications. Ethanol and Petrol are miscible in all proportions, and no layering or separation of the Ethanol Blended Petrol meeting BIS standards happens on its own.
“Moreover, the fuel storage system in a vehicle is also designed to avoid water ingress. Compliance with BIS IS 17021:2018 standards ensures the reliability of vehicles using E20. With Ethanol’s higher-octane number (~108.5 vs petrol’s 84.4), modern high-compression engines operate more efficiently,” the Ministry said.
The country has steadily improved petrol quality under BS-VI norms, and with E20 blending, the Octane rating has increased to RON 95, ensuring superior anti-knock properties and enhanced performance.
“Further, concerns about drastic mileage loss are completely misplaced. Real-world vehicle mileage depends far more on driving habits, maintenance practices, age of vehicle, tyre conditions, usage of AC load, etc. Even despite these clarifications by car manufacturers and insurers and despite the fact that not even a single case of engine failure or vehicle loss have been reported in last 10 months of E20 usage across the country, some vested interests have been spreading misinformation, doubts and deliberately misrepresenting selective data to create fear, anxiety and doubt in the minds of car owners,” the X post said.
MoPNG said that these issues have been clarified in depth by all major car manufacturers, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and OMCs. E20 is completely safe for cars.
The Ministry further noted that some people tried to insinuate that insurance will not be valid with E20 usage, which has been clarified by insurers.
“Government and insurers have clarified that insurance remains fully valid when they fill E20 fuels. India’s E20 adoption is a calibrated, standards-backed journey over a period of more than two decades that reduces import dependency, enhances energy security, lowers carbon emissions (through biogenic content) and supports farmers’ incomes, without compromising on safety or durability of vehicles and is a time tested global solution for decarbonisation”, the statement concluded.
