Gadkari Says No Verified Complaints Against E20 Petrol, But Owners Report Mileage Drop and Damage

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has said his ministry has not received a single verified complaint establishing that ethanol-blended E20 petrol has caused vehicle damage, even as social media continues to be flooded with user complaints of reduced mileage and fuel system failures since the fuel's rollout.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with ABP Live journalist Megha Prasad, Gadkari addressed the growing controversy around E20 petrol, which contains 20 percent ethanol blended with conventional fuel. The minister maintained that while ethanol has a lower calorific value than petrol — a fact that naturally results in some difference in mileage — the drop is far more noticeable on long highway stretches than in city driving conditions.

Gadkari pushed back against suggestions that he had only recently acknowledged the mileage issue, saying he has consistently maintained that petrol and ethanol carry different calorific values and that the matter is a technical one rather than a new admission.

On the wave of complaints from vehicle owners about reduced fuel efficiency, fuel pump failures and other performance issues after switching to E20, Gadkari's position was clear: none of these complaints have been formally verified. He urged affected owners to first get their vehicles inspected at authorised dealerships before attributing the problems to ethanol blending, and asked them to also register complaints through the Road Transport Ministry's website so cases could be investigated. He pointed to Maruti Suzuki as an example of a manufacturer that has not reported receiving complaints linked to ethanol-related wear and tear or mileage loss.

The minister's remarks come amid mounting public frustration, with several vehicle owners and mechanics claiming that E20 fuel has caused engine damage and corrosion in older vehicles not originally designed for higher ethanol blends. Automotive industry watchers have pointed out that manufacturers typically test vehicles extensively before certifying them for ethanol-blended fuel, but concerns persist over vehicles manufactured before the E20 rollout was announced.

Critics have also questioned why an ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India) report — said to flag reduced mileage and possible fuel-system deterioration in older E10-compatible vehicles — has not been made public. Gadkari denied that the report was being withheld, saying it has been shared with government departments and the automotive industry, and can additionally be accessed through the Right to Information (RTI) process.

The government has framed the E20 rollout as part of a broader push to cut India's annual petroleum import bill, reduce vehicular emissions and boost farmer incomes through higher ethanol demand.

The disconnect between the ministry's official stance and the volume of anecdotal owner complaints is likely to keep the E20 debate alive, with calls growing for an independent, third-party review of the fuel's real-world impact on India's existing vehicle fleet.