Researchers at IIT Kanpur announced on Tuesday that their studies found no significant drop in fuel efficiency and "no evidence" that E20 harms engines in either new or older vehicles.
These findings follow a clarification from the Oil Ministry last week, which stated that E20 can reduce mileage by up to 5 per cent in certain vehicles, while the impact is heavily outweighed by benefits, including lower lifecycle carbon emissions.
Dhruv Raj Karana, a Project Scientist at the Engine Research Laboratory in IIT Kanpur’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, stated that the institute's research showed the actual decrease in fuel efficiency with E20 is less than 5%.
He told PTI that a minor decrease of this scale could be caused by external factors rather than the fuel itself, noting that similar variations can occur "even if back-to-back tests are repeated with pure petrol."
Furthermore, Karana claimed that "extensive testing" proved E20 does not cause engine damage, corrosion, or other technical complications.
Dismissing claims circulating on social media about E20 damaging vehicles as "scientifically unfounded," he advised motorists to rely on their vehicle manufacturer's manual and guidelines from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas rather than unverified online posts.
According to Karana, IIT Kanpur’s Engine Research Laboratory headed by Professor Avinash Kumar Agarwal has been conducting extensive research on ethanol-blended fuels for a long time.
The team has even successfully tested E85 fuel (which contains 85% ethanol), though such high blends require specially designed engines and compatible fuel systems.
The institute's studies showed no major drop in fuel efficiency due to E20. Any minor variation in mileage, Karana said, is influenced far more by driving habits, road conditions, and vehicle maintenance than by the fuel type.
In a detailed question-and-answer document recently issued to counter criticism of the Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said E20 was a "cleaner, higher-quality and more efficient fuel" than E10 or pure petrol and had been rolled out only after "years of scientific testing, consultations with automobile manufacturers and the expansion of domestic ethanol production."
(With inputs from PTI)