By Admin 
- Mileage of 60% vehicles reduced by more than 10% due to E20 petrol.
- Mileage of both old and new cars fell, CNG also affected.
- There is a strong possibility of adulteration of E20 fuel at petrol pumps.
- Gadkari accepted 3-5% mileage reduction, but denied engine damage.
E20 Petrol Survey: A new survey report has come amidst the uproar over E20 petrol, in which 6 out of 10 vehicle owners admitted that after the introduction of E20 petrol, the mileage has decreased by more than 10%. According to the survey by LocalCircles, about 60% of the owners of vehicles manufactured before the year 2023 say that after the implementation of E20 ethanol-blended petrol across the country in April 2025, when they used it in their vehicles, the mileage fell by more than 10%.
Same condition of new vehicles
A shocking revelation from the survey results is that this problem of mileage is not limited only to old vehicles. 59% (6 out of 10) owners of new vehicles purchased in 2023-2024 also say that the mileage has declined by more than 10%. Some have even said that the mileage will drop by up to 20%. This shows that the problem is similar not only in old vehicles but also in new vehicles.
CNG cars also affected
Along with petrol vehicles, owners of CNG cars have also complained that E20 fuel is affecting the overall average while starting the vehicle or while driving in petrol mode.
Where is the problem coming from?
LocalCircles said, “This raises the possibility that there is a problem of adulteration or impurity in petrol in India. The fuel available at the pumps may not be of E20 standards. Vehicle manufacturers have also reiterated this concern and the government has also recently directed states to take action against adulteration in the ethanol-blended supply chain.”
It is being suspected in the survey that the price of ethanol (Rs 60-72 per liter) is much lower than the retail price of petrol (Rs 95-105 per liter). Perhaps due to the greed for this margin, over-blending is being done in petrol pumps more than the prescribed limit of 20%. If there is adulteration in fuel, vehicles will definitely get damaged. Now blending of ethanol is done at the terminals of oil companies instead of refineries. Its network extends from more than 400 distilleries to approximately 90,000 retail outlets. Mixing work has started happening in such places where there is less monitoring.
What is the stance of the government?
When E20 petrol was launched in April 2025, complaints like reduced mileage and reduced performance were reported due to its use. Clarifying on this, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari recently said that due to low calorific value of ethanol, high-blend petrol can lead to a very slight reduction in mileage (3-5%), but he completely rejected the claims of engine damage.
Also read:
If you buy pure petrol, how much will you get for one liter? How much will it cost compared to E20 petrol?