Gadkari Calls Opposition to E20 Petrol a ‘Paid Propaganda’

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday described the protests against blending 20 per cent ethanol with petrol, known as E20 fuel, as “paid propaganda”. His remarks came a day after the government notified regulations permitting flex-fuel vehicles to run on fuels containing up to 100 per cent ethanol (E100).

Speaking at an event organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on the future of highways, Gadkari said E20 fuel had been used in India since 2022. He cited figures of approximately four crore cars and 20 crore two-wheelers running on the fuel and questioned claims that its use had caused widespread vehicle damage.

The E20 blend has generated debate among motorists over concerns about fuel efficiency, mileage and compatibility with older vehicles. Gadkari defended the government's ethanol-blending initiative, arguing that it would help reduce dependence on imported fuels.

He also said that initiatives promoting alternative fuels would increase domestic production of ethanol, methanol, biodiesel, liquefied natural gas (LNG), compressed biogas (CBG), hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuel.

E100 Notification and Road Safety Measures

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has amended the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, to allow flex-fuel vehicles to operate on fuel containing up to 100 per cent ethanol. The move is intended to support the development of flex-fuel vehicles, fuel infrastructure and related automotive components.

However, the notification does not permit every petrol-powered vehicle to use E100. Only vehicles specifically designed by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) as flex-fuel vehicles can use E85 or E100. Conventional petrol vehicles and those compatible with E20 cannot automatically switch to E100 because of differences in material compatibility and engine design.

India mandated E20 compatibility for all new petrol-powered vehicles from 2023, making the blend increasingly common at petrol pumps.

Gadkari also discussed road safety enforcement, stating that he had instructed authorities not to issue speeding challans for vehicles travelling at speeds of up to 120 kmph. He added that penalties should apply when vehicles exceed the specified limit by more than 20 per cent.

Additionally, he urged industry stakeholders to support an artificial intelligence-based Advanced Traffic Management System to improve lane discipline and detect traffic violations.