NEW DELHI: The admissions by the automobile industry and the govt that ethanol-blended petrol (E20) can cause a drop in a vehicle’s mileage in the range of 2%-6% is a double whammy for consumers as they keep paying higher price for fuel but their vehicles run less.Take the example of Surender Pal Singh, a Delhi-based automobile engineer, who claimed the mileage of his less than three-year-old car reduced significantly in the last 4-6 months. “The average mileage of my car was around 17-17.5 km on Delhi roads when I bought it. The mileage slipped to 16.5 km last year and I thought it may be because of my driving habits and traffic conditions. But 4-5 months back I saw the mileage touching 14.5 km,” Singh claimed, who was the principal of a major vehicle driving institute. Singh claimed that recently, he switched to “premium fuel”, which is about Rs 7 costlier, and the fuel mileage has improved, adding that he himself drives his car.Several car users have posted such observations and complaints on social media, raising questions why they should keep paying the price for a fuel that gives them less mileage.Govt think tank Niti Aayog in its 2021 report on ‘Roadmap For Ethanol Blending in India 2020-25’ had recommended that “for better acceptability of higher ethanol blends in the country, retail price of such fuels should be lower than normal petrol to compensate for the reduction in calorific value and incentivise switching to the blended fuel. Tax breaks on ethanol as a fuel may be considered by the govt”.The report had highlighted that while using E20 fuel, there would be a drop in fuel efficiency by nearly 6%-7% for four-wheelers and 3%-4% for two-wheelers designed for E0 (100% petrol) and calibrated for E10, and 1%-2% for four-wheelers designed for E10 and calibrated for E20. “However, with the modifications in engines (hardware and tuning), loss in efficiency due to blended fuel can be reduced,” the report mentioned.Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), citing two studies of 2016 and 2021, said that in testing it found E20 not to have any adverse impact on vehicles.
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