Kejriwal to seek written assurances from carmakers on E20 fuel impact

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said he would write to three major vehicle manufacturers seeking written assurances that the use of E20 fuel does not damage engines or reduce fuel efficiency.

Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal said he would write to Maruti Suzuki, Toyota Kirloskar and Hero MotoCorp, arguing that their public claims about ethanol-blended fuel were at odds with the warnings and recommendations contained in vehicle owner manuals.

He said he would ask the companies to state in writing whether they would compensate customers if the use of E20 fuel led to a drop in mileage of more than 10 per cent. He also said he would seek assurances on whether vehicle owners would be compensated if ethanol-blended fuel caused engine damage or accelerated wear and tear of components.

Kejriwal added that he would separately write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, conveying what he described as strong public opposition to the ethanol blending programme and urging the government to make E20 fuel optional rather than mandatory.

He accused the government of misleading the public by suggesting that India was merely following a global norm. According to Kejriwal, the comparison with other countries was incomplete because most markets use ethanol blends of up to E10, which he said ordinary vehicles could handle, unlike higher blends such as E20.

There was no immediate response from the three companies named by the AAP leader.

The remarks come amid a growing political debate around India’s ethanol blending programme, with critics raising concerns over fuel efficiency, compatibility with older vehicles and the potential impact on maintenance costs, while the government has defended the policy as a way to cut crude oil imports and support cleaner fuel use.

With PTI inputs