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While petrol with higher blends of ethanol are duty free, they are yet to be rolled out. Only E20 petrol is being used as of now (Representative image)
The Centre has rubbished reports of E20 petrol being in an “experimental phase”. In a clarification issued on Tuesday, June 30, the Office of the Attorney General for India said that it certain media reports had incorrectly published the submissions of the Attorney General before the Supreme Court on 20% blended petrol.
“The reports state that the Government’s 20% Ethanol Blended Petrol (E20) Programme is ‘still an ongoing experiment’ and that ‘the impact of the policy would become clearer by next year’. These reports are completely false and do not reflect anything even close to the actual submissions made before the Hon’ble Court,” the statement read.
During the hearing, Attorney General R Venkataramani submitted that similar writ petitions involving identical issues concerning allocation of ethanol to dedicated ethanol plants are pending before different high courts. He said transfer petitions are being filed for such matters to be heard at the Supreme Court.
ALSO READ | E85 fuel launched: What happens to your E20-compliant vehicle now? Centre clears the air
This was being done to address common questions, avoid parallel proceedings and the possibility of conflicting decisions, if at all.
“This step is also likely to enable expeditious resolution of the litigation, so that supplies of ethanol to OMCs to maintain 20% blending with petrol throughout the year is not impacted, under the Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme which is a national programme,” the statement read.
“At no stage was any submission made that the government’s Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme or the E20 blending programme is an ‘experiment’,” it added
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Any suggestion that the government described the E20 programme before the Hon’ble Supreme Court as an “experiment” is incorrect, the AG’s office said.
In a separate statement, the Centre rejected posts made on social media that claimed petrol pumps across India have installed hoardings cautioning customers against the use of Ethanol Blended Petrol (E20). The government said: “Since the rollout of E20 petrol, NO widespread cases of engine failure or vehicle breakdown attributable to ethanol blending have been reported.”
🚨 Fake News Alert!
⚠️ Social media posts are falsely claiming that petrol pumps across India have installed hoardings cautioning customers against the use of Ethanol Blended Petrol (E20).#PIBFactCheck
❌ Beware! No such hoarding has been displayed at Retail Petrol Outlets.… pic.twitter.com/NrAyIMiT6T
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) June 29, 2026
Why is blended petrol in focus?
Blended petrol is allegedly corroding vehicles of some customers who brought their vehicles before 2023 and which were no suited for blended petrol. The higher blended variants are suited for only flex fuel vehicles.
The Centre has also removed excise duty on E20, E22, E22, E27, and E30.
However, a lot of vehicle owners are lashing out that the lower cost of blended fuel is not proportional to the loss in mileage due to the use of such fuel. Many on social media are even posting videos of “de-ethanolising” E20 petrol.
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The government, on the other hand, says that the removal of excise duty is a preliminary prerequisite for higher ethanol blends and does not imply their rollout, which will be undertaken only after extensive testing and consultation.
It also says: “Ethanol Blended Petrol (E20) supplied by Oil Marketing Companies conforms to BIS specifications. Ethanol and petrol are completely miscible, and no separation or layering occurs in fuel meeting prescribed standards.”
ALSO READ | Explained: The worries in India’s push beyond E20 fuel — and lessons it can take from Brazil
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