India’s ethanol fuel drive faces backlash as motorists fear car damage

Millions of Indian drivers are voicing anger after the government rolled out petrol blended with 20% ethanol, known as E20, across nearly all of the nation’s 90,000 fuel stations. The move, meant to cut carbon emissions and reduce reliance on costly oil imports, has sparked confusion, legal battles, and fears of damage to older vehicles.

India, the world’s third-largest car market, set a 2025 target for 20% ethanol blending years ago as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clean energy drive. But the sudden disappearance of older blends such as E5 and E10, considered safer for older cars, has left motorists with little choice.

Government officials say E20 lowers greenhouse gases and will help India reduce its $160 billion annual oil import bill. Yet they admit older cars may suffer “marginal” hits to fuel efficiency and may require rubber parts and gaskets to be replaced. “India’s ethanol journey is unstoppable,” Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said this month. He dismissed concerns as the work of “vested interests” creating panic.

For many drivers, the reassurances ring hollow. “Just give me the right fuel my car was originally made for,” said Ankur Thakur, 28, a technology consultant in Lucknow who went viral on social media after Renault India admitted his 2022 Triber “was not tested” for E20. He now spends extra money on scarce, no-ethanol petrol.

Carmakers are issuing hurried guidance to calm worried owners. Skoda confirmed vehicles sold after April 2020 are compatible with E20, while older ones “are not evaluated”. Toyota said drivers may see “a modest variation” in fuel economy. Audi and Mahindra, however, warn against using anything beyond E10 in recent models, according to user manuals and warning stickers reviewed by Reuters.

At fuel pumps, tensions are boiling. “People hurl abuse at us. We then decided to not tell people about the change,” said Ramesh Pandey, a fuel station manager in Lucknow. Some stations have stopped giving explanations altogether.

Public interest litigation has already reached India’s Supreme Court, with a hearing set for Monday. The case could decide whether motorists must adapt to the cleaner fuel or if the government must bring back older blends. For now, drivers are caught between a green policy push and fears their vehicles may not survive it.

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