Why India's Petrol Shift Has Motorists Fuming

New Delhi:  India's aggressive drive to expand ethanol-blended petrol is facing growing resistance, with a protest march on Tuesday demanding the government rethink its decision to make E20 fuel the national standard.

Opposition leader Arvind Kejriwal marched towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence carrying petitions signed by more than 200,000 people, but was stopped by police before reaching his destination.

India, the world's third-largest auto market, says the biofuel move is helping curb dependence on imported crude and boost farm incomes.

But motorists have voiced concerns over vehicle performance, and the government's campaign has upset India's vast middle class -- a key voter base for Modi, who worry that they are being forced to shoulder the costs of the transition.

AFP breaks down the speed bumps on India's fuel blending road.

- What's ethanol-blended petrol?

E20, the fuel at the centre of the controversy, is essentially petrol mixed with 20 percent ethanol -- which is produced largely from sugarcane.

India has flirted with the idea of biofuels for decades, primarily because it depends on other countries for over 80 percent of its crude oil requirements.

Over the last decade, Modi's government has accelerated the biofuel programme, with ethanol blending going from less than 1.5 percent in 2013-14 to 20 percent in 2025-26.

This has allowed India to save roughly $20 billion in foreign exchange since 2014-15 and boosted farmer incomes by $16.4 billion in the same period, government figures show.

- Why are drivers concerned?

Many motorists fear that the E20 petrol blend will harm engines and raise maintenance costs in vehicles designed for lower ethanol blends.

A flurry of videos showcasing alleged damage to vehicle parts and drops in mileage have gone viral on social media in recent months.

Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla, who led a street protest against E20 last month, has accused the government of rushing the nationwide rollout while dismissing legitimate public concerns.

The government has acknowledged that E20 could lead to a small dip in fuel efficiency -- in the range of 3 percent to 5 percent -- but has rejected allegations of engine damage.

Junior Oil Minister Suresh Gopi told parliament last week that more than 200 million two-wheelers and 300 million cars had operated on E20 without any "verified evidence of widespread engine failures or vehicle breakdowns".

The government has also cited manufacturer data over the last year to state that "no E20-linked corrosion, abnormal wear or reduction in component life" was reported, even in vehicles not originally designed for the blend.

India's road transport minister, Nitin Gadkari, has cited a study that suggested some older vehicles may require replacement of rubber components and gaskets, but argued such work could be "easily managed during routine servicing".

- What are car companies saying?

India's auto industry has largely supported the government.

Officials at Maruti Suzuki, the country's largest car manufacturer, have said the company's testing of E20 fuel on vehicles designed for E10 showed no areas of concern.

And one of the biggest domestic producers of motorcycles, Hero MotoCorp, says its own service data showed no incidence of higher damage in vehicles running on E20 compared to older fuels.

Some automakers have warned against misinformation.

Toyota India said issues raised in a viral complaint were caused by fuel contamination and "not related to E20 fuel usage".

- What next?

Critics have asked the government to offer vehicle owners a choice between E10, E20 and unblended petrol without paying a premium.

Despite opposition parties taking the fight to the streets, the government has shown little signs of relenting.

In a statement last month, India's oil ministry said that offering multiple options at the pump would be logistically difficult and costly.

"Maintaining multiple grades of base petrol across this vast supply chain would create an enormous logistical challenge, increase handling costs, complicate inventory management and reduce operational efficiency," it said.