India defends E20 petrol after engine damage claims

India defended its rollout of E20 petrol on Friday after motorists and viral social media posts claimed the ethanol-blended fuel could damage vehicles or affect performance.

E20 contains 20 percent ethanol. India's oil ministry acknowledged the fuel could cause a 3-5 percent reduction in fuel economy, but said claims of engine damage did not stand up to scientific evidence.

The ministry said the transition had been gradual and carried out in consultation with automakers. It cited data from Maruti Suzuki, saying none of the 28.4 million vehicles the carmaker serviced in the 2025-2026 financial year reported E20-linked corrosion, abnormal wear or component-life damage.

Toyota India said issues raised in a viral complaint involving one of its vehicles were caused by fuel contamination and were not related to E20 use.

State-owned refiner Bharat Petroleum also rejected social media claims that E20 petrol attracted ants, saying it found no identifiable attractant that would cause insects to gather around fuel caps.

Critics have urged the government to give motorists a choice between unblended petrol, E10 and E20. The oil ministry said maintaining multiple fuel grades across India's distribution network would be difficult and costly.