New Delhi, July 4 (IANS). Industry experts said on Saturday that E20 fuel has been introduced on the basis of scientific testing and global standards and there is no evidence of it causing damage to vehicle parts; He attributed the isolated complaints to fuel defects or adulteration, and also said that depending on the vehicle model, there may be a 3-5 percent reduction in mileage, but this will not affect the warranty of E10 vehicles.
Rahul Bharti, Senior Executive Officer (Corporate Affairs), Maruti Suzuki India Limited, while talking to news agency IANS, said that in the last few days, many doubts and questions have come up regarding the use of ethanol.
He said, “It has been made mandatory in India to manufacture vehicles compliant with E20 fuel from 2023. Earlier, E10 (10 per cent ethanol blended petrol) was applicable. Hence, both the vehicles coming in the market from 2023 onwards and the fuel available are as per E20 standards.”
Vartika Shukla, former chairperson and managing director of Engineers India Limited (EIL), said that in the year 2013-14, only 1.5 percent ethanol was mixed in petrol in India.
He said, “The government’s target was to implement 20 percent ethanol blending i.e. E20 in petrol, which was achieved five years ahead of schedule in December 2025.”
Shukla said that the ethanol blending program was prepared in a completely planned manner. Extensive discussions and deliberations were held with all stakeholders before its implementation.
He said the program is based on scientific evidence, extensive trials and testing conducted by Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and vehicle manufacturers. It is also in line with global best practices being adopted to reduce carbon emissions.
At the same time, Vikram Gulati, Country Head and Executive Vice President (Corporate Affairs and Governance), Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said that the automobile industry is one of the few sectors where very strict rules regarding quality and performance are implemented.
He said, “There are strict standards for emissions, safety and performance for vehicles. Similarly, clear quality standards have also been set for fuel.”
Gulati said that vehicle manufacturers conduct detailed testing of any new model before launching it in the market. Apart from this, it is mandatory for the vehicle to go through the process of certification and homologation (certification as per government standards).
He said that in view of the challenge of climate change, it is necessary to work towards rapid decarbonization. According to him, ethanol is a low-carbon fuel because it is produced from plants and is more environmentally friendly than traditional fossil fuels.
–IANS
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