Will your car get spoiled by E20 petrol? Nitin Gadkari revealed the truth, said – ‘This is all a rumour’

Are you also worried about whether mixing ethanol (E20) in petrol will damage your car’s engine or have a negative impact on mileage? If yes, then Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has spoken openly about all these apprehensions. Gadkari has made it clear that the news being spread on social media that vehicles are getting damaged due to E20 petrol is completely misleading and wrong.

Does mileage really reduce?

Nitin Gadkari admitted that the ‘calorific value’ (energy capacity) of ethanol is slightly lower than petrol, hence there may be a slight difference in mileage. But, he also clarified that the mileage of the vehicle does not depend only on fuel. In cities like Delhi-Mumbai where there is heavy traffic and vehicles stop and move frequently, driving style and traffic conditions affect the mileage the most. Gadkari gave the example that if you drive at a speed of 100 km per hour on an empty road, you will know the exact difference in mileage, which will be very nominal.

E20 implemented only after rigorous testing

The Union Minister stressed that before launching E20 (20% ethanol and 80% petrol) across the country, Pune’s ‘Automotive Research Association of India’ (ARAI) and vehicle manufacturing companies have conducted rigorous tests. He challenged and said, “Show me even one car whose engine has been damaged due to E20 petrol. Whatever news is doing the rounds on social media, it is part of a well-planned conspiracy and creating a false impression.”

What to do for old vehicles?

Gadkari said that the government and companies are completely alert regarding old vehicles. He has instructed vehicle manufacturers that when old vehicles come for service, some of their parts (such as better rubber washers instead of metal washers) should be replaced if necessary. There are instructions to make this change during service without any extra charge, so that even old vehicles can run smoothly with ethanol fuel.

Ethanol is much better in performance

Nitin Gadkari says that ethanol is an excellent fuel in terms of performance. It has better ‘anti-knocking’ properties, due to which the engine noise is reduced and it runs more smoothly. He told that soon 12 big companies like Tata, Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai are going to launch their ‘flex fuel’ vehicles. Giving the example of Brazil, he said that up to 27% ethanol is being used there since 1970, so there is nothing to fear from it in India. He reminded that they have been promoting this technology since 2004 because ethanol is cheaper than petrol and also better for the environment.