In 2021, the Government of India had said it will move to 20% ethanol blending in petrol by 2025 with the two-pronged goal of cutting carbon emissions and reducing the country’s dependence on foreign oil. While vehicles modified to be compatible with the new composition started rolling out in April 2025, the government’s push for 20% ethanol-blended petrol (E20) has left vehicle-owners worried about the impact on their older vehicles and about a surge in maintenance costs.
In 2021, the Government of India had said it will move to 20% ethanol blending in petrol by 2025 with the two-pronged goal of cutting carbon emissions and reducing the country’s dependence on foreign oil. While vehicles modified to be compatible with the new composition started rolling out in April 2025, the government’s push for 20% ethanol-blended petrol (E20) has left vehicle-owners worried about the impact on their older vehicles and about a surge in maintenance costs.
Ethanol, or ethyl alcohol, is a biofuel: it is made from plant waste called biomass. Regular petrol is a hydrocarbon made from the fossilised remains of organic matter buried for millions of years.
