‘If you drive at…’: Nitin Gadkari admits E20 fuel affects car mileage, dismisses engine damage concerns

UNION Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has admitted that E20 fuel does impact mileage of cars to a certain extent.

Gadkari, in an interview with The Indian Express, said that the mileage difference is due to the lower calorific value of ethanol compared to petrol, which might cause the average mileage to take a dip with the ethanol content in fuel rising.

“Look, there are a couple of things: the first is the difference in calorific value between ethanol and petrol – which is a fact. But mileage also depends on driving conditions, especially in cities such as Delhi or Mumbai, where vehicles stay in lower gears due to driving conditions… According to the ARAI report, for vehicles specifically built with flex-fuel engines, there is no problem with mileage efficiency. That is why we are also working on (pushing) flex-engine technology,” IE quoted the union minister as saying.

“In stop-and-go traffic from Delhi to Gurgaon, you are constantly braking. Your speed barely goes above 40-50 (km per hour) before you hit a red light. However, if you drive at a continuous speed for 100 km (per hour), you may see some difference in value,” he added.

However, Gadkari claimed that allegation of vehicle parts being damaged due to the use of E20 blend are 'overblown' and part of attempts to create a 'false narrative'. He said that E20 was introduced only after multiple tests conducted by the ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India) and also by vehicle manufacturers.

He also said that in some older cars, if there are minor impacts on certain parts, the government has asked manufacturers to replace those parts in question during servicing.

Gadkari said, "“Show me a single car that has suffered damage because of E20 fuel. What is being circulated on social media is part of a concerted false narrative.”

Gadkari on methanol-diesel blend

Gadkari, in the interview, said that the crisis in West Asia, which has posed a severe challenge to fuel supply across the world, has also opened the doors to other possible fossil fuel alternatives which will reduce dependence on imports.

He then spoke on a 15% methanol-diesel blend which is currently being used to run certain buses in Karnataka.

“In Karnataka, Ashok Leyland collaborated with the Karnataka State Corporation to run 25 buses using a 15% methanol-diesel blend. They ran them for three months and certified that there were no problems, after which Ashok Leyland developed a dedicated methanol engine so that trucks and buses can run on methanol. Currently, Assam Petro-Chemicals produces 700 tonnes of methanol daily at a rate of ₹20-22 per litre, compared to diesel, which is around ₹110; this results in significant cost savings," Gadkari said in the IE interview.

Kejriwal demands cut in fuel prices

Amid the controversy over blended fuel, AAP convenor and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday demanded that petrol and diesel prices be reduced. He claimed that "pure petrol" should be available at ₹82 per litre and E20 fuel at ₹70 per litre.

Claiming that diesel prices could also be reduced similarly, he said lower fuel prices would provide people with much-needed relief.

He said, "We can calculate diesel prices in the same way; diesel prices could also be reduced. If petrol and diesel prices come down, I believe it would deal a significant blow to inflation and provide people with much-needed relief," as per a report by ANI.