Government and automakers said testing and service data show no widespread engine damage from 20% ethanol-blended petrol, though motorists and opposition figures cite lower mileage and possible vehicle wear.
India's government and automakers defended the mandatory rollout of 20% ethanol-blended petrol, or E20, as criticism intensified over lower fuel efficiency, vehicle performance and safety concerns in the world's third-biggest car market. The backlash accelerated after Attorney General R. Venkataramani called E20 an "experiment" in court, though he later told Reuters he meant ethanol supply volumes rather than the policy itself. Officials and carmakers including Maruti Suzuki, Hero MotoCorp and Toyota Kirloskar Motor said testing and service records show no evidence of widespread vehicle damage, while acknowledging E20 lowers fuel efficiency by about 3-3.5% because ethanol has lower energy content.