By Admin 
- Government is promoting E20 for energy security
Ethanol Fuel Impact Report: The impact of the ongoing tension in the Middle East is being seen on many countries. If we talk about India, it has affected the supply and prices of petrol and diesel here. In recent times, there has been several increases in the prices of petrol and diesel. In such a situation, the Indian government is rapidly promoting ethanol-blended petrol i.e. E20 petrol. The government believes that this will help in reducing the import of crude oil, save foreign exchange and benefit the farmers, but now the concerns of many vehicle owners, especially those driving old petrol cars and bikes, have also started increasing.
What came out in the survey?
If we talk about the survey, a recent survey by LocalCircles has revealed that about 5 out of 10 owners of petrol vehicles purchased in 2022 or before say that the mileage of their vehicle has reduced after the introduction of E20 petrol. Opinions of more than 24 thousand vehicle owners were included in this survey. According to the survey, among those who complained about reduction in mileage, about 25 percent said that the mileage of their vehicle reduced by more than 20 percent. At the same time, 7 percent people said that the mileage has decreased by 15 to 20 percent and 13 percent people said that the mileage has decreased by 10 to 15 percent.
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Difference between government claims and people’s experience
Let us tell you that these figures are also in discussion because earlier it was said by the government that E20 petrol will have very little impact on the mileage. It was estimated that there could be only a 1 to 6 percent reduction in mileage, but now many users say that they are feeling more of a difference in real life. In such a situation, this issue is continuously becoming a topic of discussion.
Why is old vehicles more affected?
In fact, many petrol vehicles purchased before 2023 were built on low ethanol blend petrol like E5 or E10. In such a situation, using E20 petrol may have more impact on the old engine. According to experts, the energy density of ethanol is less than normal petrol. This clearly means that the vehicle may require more fuel to cover the same distance. Apart from this, if used for a long time, ethanol can also damage the rubber and plastic parts of old vehicles.
Complaint about increasing repair costs
Along with this, not only mileage but also complaints of vehicle breakdown have come to light in the survey. About 29 percent people said that after using E20 petrol, they faced problems related to engine, fuel line, carburettor or other parts. However, these claims are based on the experiences of vehicle owners. This is not any scientific or government research. Nevertheless, there seems to be increasing concern among people regarding E20 petrol.
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Why is the government promoting E20?
India imports about 87 percent of its crude oil requirement from abroad. In such a situation, the government is looking at ethanol blending as a long-term strategy. Through this, efforts are being made to reduce oil imports, save foreign exchange and provide benefits to sugarcane and maize farmers. The government has achieved the E20 target ahead of schedule and is now working on future fuels with higher ethanol blends like E22, E25, E30 and in some cases E85.
The biggest concern of users
The biggest question for car owners is that if the mileage decreases then the expenditure on petrol will increase every month. Along with this, if the cost of repairing the vehicle also increases, then driving old petrol vehicles may become costlier than before. However, the government considers ethanol blending as necessary for the country’s energy security and economic strength. On the other hand, users now want to know how well their old vehicles will perform with increasing ethanol in the future.