August 18, 2025

India’s fuel story is about to get a vibrant new twist! The government declared back in 2021 that by 2025, petrol will contain 20% ethanol, the eco-friendly biofuel made from plants. This E20 petrol aims to reduce carbon emissions and cut down the country’s oil import bill. But wait, not all car owners are jumping with joy. Many fear that this new fuel could spell trouble — from harming their older vehicles to hiking up maintenance costs. What exactly is ethanol? It’s a type of alcohol made mainly from leftover plant materials like sugarcane molasses and grains. Unlike petrol, which comes from ancient fossils, ethanol is a fresh biofuel superstar. When mixed with petrol, ethanol helps it burn better because it adds oxygen, improving combustion. India’s ethanol comes from sugarcane waste and damaged grains, processed through fermentation. Think of it like ginger soda fermenting to fizz — sugar breaks down and turns into ethanol with the help of yeast enzymes! This natural process is both eco-friendly and smart. But here’s the catch: ethanol has lower energy than petrol, meaning a slight drop in fuel mileage. Yet, experts like Sudheer Kumar Kuppili from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine say, “The compensation for having lower energy would be quite low when you are moving from E10 to E20.” So don’t worry too much about your tank running out faster — it’s not a big jump. The bigger drama is ethanol’s love for water! Being hygroscopic, it attracts moisture which can cause corrosion inside fuel tanks and clog fuel lines with rust. Noble Varghese, an expert, warns, “Ethanol affects the rubber components... If the vehicle is not used everyday, water tends to collect in the fuel tank, which is corrosive.” This means older vehicles with rubber fuel parts not made for ethanol might face problems. But the government is calm and says replacing old rubber parts during routine servicing is easy and cheap — just a one-time affair. Kuppili adds that modern vehicles, especially BS-IV or BS-VI ones, won’t face major issues because regular use burns off moisture. Wondering why Brazil doesn’t have these problems? They started their ethanol journey decades ago, carefully building up production and making flex-fuel cars that easily switch between petrol blends. India is still catching up, and most older Indian vehicles lack the fancy electronic control units (ECUs) to adjust to ethanol’s chemical changes automatically. An industry insider reveals that about 95% of pre-2020 vehicles use mechanical carburetors, hardwired for pure petrol. Switching them to E20 is tough because the fuel-air mix ratio changes, affecting engine timing and performance. “Engines may have to be recalibrated,” the expert says, and that costs money because skilled engineers have to retune the systems. On the bright side, ethanol’s high octane number helps engines resist knocking, and its oxygen content lowers harmful emissions like nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide. All in all, India’s ethanol blending plan is a fantastic step toward cleaner fuel and energy independence. Yet, this spicy fuel mix comes with its share of engine tune-ups and cautious car care. As experts say, it just needs a smoother pace and smart tweaks to keep your ride happy on E20 petrol!

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Tags: Ethanol blending, E20 petrol, Fuel technology, Vehicle impact, India energy, Carbon emissions,