NEW DELHI, July 29: Some rubber parts and gaskets in BS-III vehicles may need replacement when using E20 fuel, a study commissioned by the Center has found, the Union government has informed Parliament.
“In case of testing done on BS-III vehicles introduced from 1st April, 2005 and manufactured prior to 2016, some rubber parts and gaskets may require replacement, which can be easily managed during routine servicing regime of the vehicle,” Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said in the Rajya Sabha, citing findings of the study carried out by the Indian Oil Corporation Limited; the Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun; the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, and the Automotive Research Association of India.
The study has not been made public yet.
Mr Gadkari was responding to a question from the Communist Party of India (CPI) MP AA Rahim on the impact of E20 fuel on vehicle performance, fuel efficiency, engine durability, and maintenance costs. Other than BS-III vehicles, the study showed there was no need to modify car and two-wheeler engines, the Minister said.
“These studies confirmed that even legacy vehicles did not exhibit any significant variations in performance, nor do they show abnormal wear-and-tear when operated with E20 fuel,” Mr Gadkari added. The study also found no issues related to drivability, startability, metal compatibility or plastic compatibility, the Minister said.
There have been widespread anecdotal complaints of vehicles misfiring or breaking down, with some users attributing the problems to E20 fuel or contaminated E20 fuel. Fuel efficiency and mileage is influenced by “a host of factors beyond just fuel type,” Mr Gadkari said, including, he added, driving habits, maintenance practices such as oil changes and air filter cleanliness, tire pressure and alignment, and even air conditioning load.
(Rohit Kumar)
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