New Delhi: The government today admitted that petrol blended with 20% ethanol – commonly known as E20 – can reduce fuel economy by 3-5%.The oil ministry has released a question-and-answer document, ostensibly to counter criticism of the Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme.In it, the government says: “It is true that in some vehicles there may be a 3-5% reduction in fuel economy. But mileage is only one parameter.”The sale of E20 petrol has been mandated in the country from April 1. Criticism and concern has poured in, with vehicle users and makers both saying that the blended fuel reacts poorly and reduces mileage.According to recent survey, 66% of owners of pre-2023 petrol vehicles said their vehicles’ fuel efficiency had fallen by more than 10% since early 2025, compared with 45% in a similar survey conducted in May 2026. The share of respondents reporting unusual wear and tear or increased repair requirements also rose to 55% from 29% during the same period.The Modi government has been eager to show that the project has not been rushed, but not much – including a July 4 press briefing on E20 in which industry and government leaders dismissed consumer concerns as rage bait – has helped assuage worries.The latest document lists questions like:‘Why did India appear to rush its ethanol blending targets when countries like Brazil took decades?’ and alsoWhy don’t consumers have the choice of buying pure petrol, E10 or E20? And what about older vehicles that are labelled as only E10 compatible?If ethanol is blended with petrol, why isn’t E20 cheaper than E10 or pure petrol?There are concerns that E20 damages rubber components, affects engines in older vehicles, and many vehicle manuals specifically mention “E10 compatible”. Should owners of older vehicles be worried?However, in its lengthy answers, the government does not provide direct reasons, saying instead that it advises consumers not to be misled by “misinformation, scaremongering or unverified content circulating on social media (to question 4)” or that the question should be, “How did India manage to protect consumers from the full impact of volatile global crude prices? (to question 2)”.E20, it says offers a significantly higher-octane rating, superior anti-knock characteristics, faster combustion, better pickup, smoother acceleration and cleaner engine operation.Road transport minister Nitin Gadkari, in an interview with Indian Express, doubled down on this, saying that while there is a “difference in calorific value between ethanol and petrol,” “mileage also depends on driving conditions, especially in cities such as Delhi or Mumbai, where vehicles stay in lower gears due to driving conditions…”Gadkari also said, “Show me a single car that has suffered damage because of E20 fuel. What is being circulated on social media is part of a concerted false narrative.”The ministry QnA cited feedback from automobile manufacturers, including Maruti Suzuki and Hero MotoCorp, saying they had not reported E20-related corrosion, abnormal wear or component-life damage in vehicles serviced under real-world conditions, saying:“Further, Maruti Suzuki serviced 2.84 crore vehicles during FY 2025-26, including 1.5 crore older, non-E20-certified vehicles, and reported no E20-linked corrosion, abnormal wear or component-life damage. Hero MotoCorp has reported similar field experience. This real-world evidence is far more reliable than isolated anecdotes.”On pricing, the ministry said E20 is not necessarily cheaper than conventional petrol because ethanol procurement prices are fixed at remunerative levels to support farmers and can exceed the cost of petrol when international crude prices are relatively low.On concerns that a E10-compatible vehicle may suffer with E20, the note seeks to focus on manuals. “A vehicle manual reflects the fuel specification prevailing at the time the vehicle was homologated and certified. It does not mean the vehicle suddenly becomes unsafe if fuel standards evolve later after extensive scientific testing, engineering validation and regulatory approval. If that logic were applied universally, no country would ever be able to upgrade its fuel standards,” it says.India’s transition to E20 was not an overnight decision, it claims.