'Automobile manufacturers say no difficulty with E20 fuel': Hardeep Puri

UNion government minister for crude and cancel gaseous state Hardeep Singh Puri on mon termed reports regarding concerns around E20 fuel as “misrepresentation”, saying manufacturers had stated there is “no difficulty” with the switch.“The automobile manufacturers, as well as the people who service these vehicles, all say there is no difficulty. Why this sudden interest?” Puri said, according to ANI news agency“It is a misrepresentation and I don't want to use stronger words,” he added. Puri noted that India has been gradually increasing ethanol blending, adding that car manufacturers had made statements asserting their “comfort” with the fuel and consumers had “appreciated” the product.“We have been using E15 for the last three and a half years. We have been on E20 since April of last year. From April 2025 to April 2026, it has already been one year, and we are now another five months beyond that,” ANI cited Puri as saying. This comes even as the Aam Aadmi Party stepped up its attack on the Centre regarding the fuel, with party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal saying he would seek written assurances from three major automakers on the same. Kejriwal named Maruti Suzuki, Toyota Kirloskar and Hero MotoCorp, alleging that their public statements contradicted the guidance im their vehicle manuals.“I will tell them that your owner manual says one thing, but you are saying something else. Give in writing that if the mileage of your vehicle drops by more than 10 per cent, will you compensate the customer,” Kejriwal said.Also Read | Ethanol blending in fuel: What Brazil does, and where other countries stand‘No case of any car facing issues due to E20’: GadkariMeanwhile, transport minister Nitin Gadkari asked whether a single vehicle had faced problems due to the mixed fuel. “There is no case of any car facing issues due to E20 petrol. Has there been any car in the country that faced issues due to the use of E20 petrol? Just name one,” Gadkari said. The remarks by the ministers and the industry clarification came after concerns over E20 petrol gained traction on social media and in political circles.Among those who had raised concerns was YouTuber and Jan Suraaj Party activist Manish Kashyap from Bohar, who claimed in a video that his vehicle developed engine-related problems after running on E20 petrol. However, the vehicle's manufacturer Toyota denied the claim, without naming him, saying the issue was due to contaminated fuel in general.E25 rollout only after tests, says PuriPuri said the government was not rushing the decision on E25, adding that tests on the blended fuel were underway. “…We have made it clear that we are conducting tests. Those tests will take time. Once the reports are available, we will evaluate them,” Puri said, according to ANI. He said the reports would also be discussed with the stakeholders and the automobile manufacturers. “After all, I neither manufacture the cars nor the fuel,” the minister said.Gadkari had earlier said that “false narratives” were being spread aboutt the roll-out of higher ethanol-blended petrol, claiming these were “paid campaigns.”