Amid the ongoing debate over E20 petrol in Delhi, the demand for premium petrol is increasing rapidly. According to sources, a large number of car owners are now preferring to buy high-octane premium fuel instead of regular petrol. This trend is clearly visible at many petrol pumps in the capital, where sales of premium fuels – such as Indian Oil’s XP95 and XP100, and Bharat Petroleum’s Speed 97 – have seen a significant increase.
Reports show that the demand for premium petrol at many petrol pumps in Delhi has almost doubled as before. At the same time, a five-fold increase in sales has been seen at some petrol pumps located in posh areas. However, there has been no official comment yet from the government or oil marketing companies on this change.
According to sources, the daily sales of XP95 at a particular petrol pump in Delhi, which was earlier around 1,000 litres, has now increased to between 1,500 to 1,700 litres. Similarly, sales of XP100 have also increased from about 100 liters to about 500 liters a day. Especially owners of expensive and high-performance cars are giving preference to premium petrol.
This trend has come to the fore at a time when various discussions are taking place on social media and other platforms regarding E20 petrol. However, automakers and oil marketing companies have consistently stated that E20-compatible vehicles are designed specifically with this fuel in mind.
**Government denied the rumours**
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has clarified that the claims of E20 petrol causing engine damage or drastically reducing mileage are false. The ministry said that before implementing the E20 program, extensive testing and negotiations were conducted with vehicle manufacturers, oil marketing companies and testing agencies. Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has already said that there has been no significant adverse impact on the engine performance or durability of E20-compatible vehicles. Additionally, the government has clarified that no decision has been taken yet to implement ethanol blending levels higher than E20.
**E20 provides many benefits for the country**
According to the ministry, due to the high price of ethanol, the production of E20 petrol is currently a little more expensive than regular petrol. However, the country has benefited greatly from the ethanol blending program. Government data shows that the scheme has led to savings of over ₹1.97 lakh crore in foreign exchange, reduction in crude oil imports by 316 lakh metric tonnes and payments of over ₹1.66 lakh crore to farmers. The government believes that this program is an important step towards strengthening India’s energy security and reducing dependence on imported crude oil.
