E20 fuel transition leaves Indian car owners in dilemma. Everything to know
A large number of car and two-wheeler owners in India are concerned about the use of E20 fuel in their vehicles.
Social media has been abuzz over the last few days, claiming that ethanol-blended fuel will reduce fuel efficiency, lead to corrosion of the engine parts, and damage several other critical parts of the vehicles. However, the government is claiming that these claims are baseless.
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E20 fuel: Govt's assurance is not enough for vehicle owners, OEMs remain silent
Most of the cars manufactured in India before April 2023 are not designed to run on E20 petrol. Many older car owners whose vehicles are built before April 2023, have been reporting mileage drops. They worry that in the long run, the E20 fuel is going to negatively impact their vehicle's engine health. While many car owners on social media have been claiming up to 25 per cent loss of fuel efficiency using the E20 fuel, the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) has claimed a contradictory result. ARAI said that its controlled tests using the fuel show a much smaller dip of around one to six per cent. Also, it claims to have found no significant wear and tear even after extended use.
The Indian government is relying heavily on this ARAI study to reassure the motorists. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) in multiple statements have claimed that the concerns about significant mileage drop and wear tear of critical vehicle components due to E20 fuel are baseless. However, that is not working well to address the concerns of the vehicle owners. Surprisingly, on the other hand, the car manufacturers have kept mum on this.
While this situation has created quite a confusion, the vehicle owners have valid reason to be worried.
E20 fuel: Can it harm your car or bike?
The vehicle owners have legitimate reason to be worried about the use of E20 fuel in their vehicles. If your car or motorcycle or scooter is not certified for E20 petrol, It could accelerate wear and tear to certain components, which include damage to rubber or plastic parts, as well as corrosion to metal parts. However, the extent of damage depends on multiple factors, which includes age, technology etc. For example a BS3 or BS4 vehicle's vulnerability is much higher than a BS6 vehicle. Also, while using E20, the damage for an E10 compatible engine powered vehicle would be slower than an engine older than that. Additionally, it is not like that these damages will occur instantly. The damage to the critical parts will happen over time.
On the other hand, people using E20 compatible engine powered vehicle, need not to worry, as their vehicle's engine and other components come complying with the moderation requied to use E20 fuel.
Why E20 is bad for older vehicles?
Ethanol degrades plastic and rubber components and the fundamental issue behind this is the corrosive nature of ethanol. It draws water because it is a hygroscopic substance, meaning it readily absorbs moisture from the atmosphere and holds onto water molecules. This allows ethanol to attract and absorb water from its surroundings, a process that can result in water contamination in fuel tanks, phase separation of petrol and ethanol, and potential damage the engine components.
The increased ethanol content in E20 as compared to E10 in your fuel tank is capable of eating away plastic and rubber components that it comes in contact with. Thus, fuel lines, hoses and gaskets that are not compatible with E20 fuel will degrade over time. There would be problems like shrinkage or swelling and cracking from brittleness. If you think not driving much may help your car remain healthy, then you are wrong. Leaving higher-ethanol-blended petrol idle for long periods like weeks or months in the fuel tank of your car could be more damaging to your vehicle.
Ethanol is a strong solvent, which can strip away the deposits in the fuel tank. This could result in clogged fuel filters and injectors, leading to poor engine performance and eventually increased maintenance costs owing to frequent visits to workshops and replacement of key parts.
While the newer vehicles come equipped with components compatible of E20 fuel, vehicles manufactured between 2012 and 2023 are E10-compliant. The impact would be most on the vehicles manufactured before 2012, while the vehicles built before April 2023 may see less impact or over a longer period.
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