Exclusive | Nitin Gadkari: Mileage ‘marginally’ impacted by E20, but vehicle damage not a risk

Amid a raging debate over the impact on vehicular performance from the shift to higher ethanol blends, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said that because the calorific value of ethanol is lower than petrol, the average mileage can dip as ethanol content increases in the fuel. In most use cases though, the impact would be marginal, Gadkari said in a conversation with The Indian Express.

He also said the instances of vehicular damage being circulated on social media are “overblown” and part of a concerted “false narrative”. Gadkari said the E20 blend (20% ethanol and 80% petrol) was introduced nationwide last year only after clearances in multiple tests carried out by Pune-based testing lab ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India) and vehicle manufacturers.

On some minor impact on some parts in older cars, vehicle manufacturers have been instructed to replace them during servicing, the minister 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,” he said.

On the mileage issue, Gadkari said: “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.”

“In stop-and-go traffic from Delhi to Gurgaon, you are constantly braking. Your speed barely goes above 40-50 (kilometres 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,” the minister said.

On claims of engine damage, Gadkari said he had asked companies to check some of these instances, which found adulterated fuel to be responsible.

Gadkari said there are learnings from the flex engine, which has undergone improvements with respect to material compliance. “For older cars going for servicing, the washers used to be made of metal. Now they are (made of) rubber. During servicing, we have instructed vehicle manufacturers to replace those washers at no extra cost for the consumer. In my knowledge, no cars have broken down. When it comes to performance, ethanol is proven to be better; it has much better anti-knocking properties and a high octane number. I have been advocating for ethanol as an alternative since 2004…”

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With the incoming flex-fuel engine technology, he said nearly a dozen companies including Tata Motors, Mahindra, Hyundai, Toyota Kirloskar and Maruti Suzuki are bringing flex models. Brazil has been using a 27% ethanol-petrol blend since 1970, with Honda and Hyundai running cars with flex-fuel engines on ethanol without issues. “The goal is to give the public a choice – multiple blends at different pricing, given that ethanol is priced at approximately Rs 75 per litre,” the Minister told The Indian Express. A flex fuel hybrid vehicle results in efficiency gains, since the electric component of the engine ensures that energy is saved in a battery.

Gadkari said the West Asian crisis has shown that all alternatives to fossil fuel imports need to be explored. “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 Rs 20-22 per litre, compared to diesel which is around Rs 110; this results in significant cost savings.”

With this fuel, pollution is also very low, he said. “Methanol can be used for trucks and buses in the North East, and it is also the best fuel for marine engines. For water transport in Brahmaputra and for barges going to Bangladesh, we can use marine engines running on methanol to save on diesel and petrol. Through bamboo refineries, we can produce ethanol and also methanol, allowing buses, trucks, and construction equipment in the North East to run on methanol instead of diesel,” he said.

Also, iso-butanol is made from ethanol and serves as an alternative for diesel, which is necessary because ethanol cannot be mixed directly into diesel engines. Kirloskar (Group) has prepared two generator sets—one running on 100% iso-butanol and one on ethanol—and both are successful. “If we use iso-butanol for tractors, agricultural equipment, harvesters, and construction equipment, our diesel imports will end. Generator sets can run on CNG, ethanol, methanol, or iso-butanol—all of which are indigenous Indian fuels. We do not want foreign fuel or imports, as we currently import Rs 2 lakh crore of fossil fuels, and much of the pollution is caused by them. Construction equipment can also be made electric,” he said.