E85 fuel launched: What happens to your E20-compliant vehicle now? Centre clears the air

3 min readUpdated: Jun 6, 2026 11:27 AM IST

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri at the launch of the E85 fuel on Friday.

Social media is rife with claims that indicated vehicles will suffer now because the government is pushing E85 fuel. Many claimed that the supply of normal petrol and diesel will soon be stopped and vehicle owners will be forced to fill up E85 fuel only in their tanks. However, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri sought to clarify that the E85 fuel is for a specific type of vehicle only.

What is E85 fuel and how is it different from E20?

The Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas launched the E85 fuel on World Environment Day. The primary difference in the two is the fuels’ composition and vehicle compatibility. While the standard E20 petrol contains up to 20% ethanol mixed with 80% conventional petrol, the new E85 shifts the balance and mixes 80%-85% ethanol blended with 14% to 19% petrol.

E85 ईंधन आ गया…….अब E20 अनुकूल गाड़ियों का क्या होगा?

E20 और E85 दो अलग-अलग श्रेणियों के ईंधन हैं, जो अलग-अलग प्रकार के वाहनों के लिए बनाए गए हैं। E85 के आने का मतलब यह बिल्कुल नहीं है कि E20 या पेट्रोल वाहन बंद हो जाएंगे।

E85 ईंधन सिर्फ और सिर्फ फ्लेक्स फ्यूल वाहन के लिए… pic.twitter.com/2Jtc2WRFS3

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) June 6, 2026

Can you use E85 petrol in your old vehicle?

The short answer is no, you can’t. Regular petrol vehicles cannot use E85 as it is engineered exclusively for specialized flex-fuel vehicles, or FFVs. To push consumer adoption, the government has launched E85 at nearly Rs 20 per litre cheaper than normal petrol. In Delhi, the E85 fuel is priced at Rs 82.12 per litre. According to the Centre’s data, transitioning to E85 reduces greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 61% compared to standard fossil fuels.

What the government says?

Now comes the most important question. Is your current vehicle useless now? Hardeep Singh Puri said that is not the case at all. “Your E20 vehicle will run for a long time… E20 and E85 are fuels from two different categories, designed for different types of vehicles. The arrival of E85 by no means implies that E20 or petrol vehicles will be discontinued. E85 dispensers will display big boards with the message ‘E85-compliant cars only,” he said.

“E85 fuel is exclusively for flex-fuel vehicles, not for regular E20 compatible vehicles. In Brazil, E85 fuel has been in use for decades. Flex-fuel vehicle engines can run on various ethanol-petrol blends ranging from E20 to E100. This will boost farmers’ income, reduce dependence on crude oil imports, and strengthen the country’s energy security. It reflects India’s ongoing strides toward a clean and self-reliant future,” he said in an X post.

He said people would choose E85 cars to move from fossil fuels to green fuels to benefit the environment. He further said that vehicles are now being launched which are 100% indigenous and would support Indian firms.

Abhishek Chakraborty is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express in Delhi, working at the intersection of digital-first journalism, editorial decision-making, and audience engagement. He is closely involved in shaping and commissioning stories for the digital platform, with a focus on breaking news, explanatory journalism, and sharp, reader-oriented presentation.

His work spans editorial planning, real-time news judgment, headline optimisation, and platform strategy, including search and social distribution. He has a strong interest in the evolution of news consumption in the digital ecosystem. He is particularly interested in how national newsrooms adapt to platform-led distribution models, data-informed editorial choices, and the balance between speed, depth, and credibility in digital-first journalism.

His core interest areas are business, science, and political news.

Education and interest areas: Abhishek holds a postgraduate degree in Political Science and a graduate degree in Journalism. His academic grounding informs his reportage and editing, particularly on politics, governance, and public policy. He is interested in the future of digital journalism, newsroom transformation, and the evolving relationship between technology, platforms, and public discourse.

Abhishek hails from Assam's Guwahati and is proficient in English, Bengali, Assamese and Hindi. When not in the newsroom, Abhishek can be found exploring food trails around Delhi and Northeast India. In his leisure, Abhishek likes to go on long drives or bike rides, play cricket and games, and explore historical places.

Work experience: Abhishek has over 12 years of experience at The Times of India, The Quint, India Today, ABP Network, and now, at The Indian Express. ... Read More

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