Average car owner can't check mileage on their own: Nitin Gadkari amid E20 row

Amid the growing controversy over ethanol-blended petrol, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said the average car owner cannot accurately measure their vehicle's fuel efficiency on their own and should rely on tests conducted by authorised dealers.

Speaking to ABP News, Gadkari was responding to a journalist who claimed her car's mileage had plummeted after switching to government-mandated E20 petrol.

When the journalist said the mileage of her car, purchased in 2023 and presumably E20 compliant, had fallen from 11 km/litre to 7 km/litre recently, Gadkari questioned how the figure had been calculated.

"I checked it in my car, just as everyone does,” she replied.

To this, Gadkari reiterated that accurate fuel-efficiency readings can only be obtained through manufacturer-authorised testing equipment.

"You and I can’t check the mileage. A car's mileage can only be checked using a company-authorised dealer's machine,” he said.

The exchange comes days after the Centre acknowledged that E20 petrol can reduce fuel economy by 3-5% in some vehicles, even as it defended the nationwide ethanol blending programme.

Last week, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas released a question-and-answer document aimed at addressing criticism of the Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme.

In the document, the government acknowledged that E20 petrol may lower fuel efficiency in some vehicles but argued that mileage is not the only factor to consider.

"It is true that in some vehicles there may be a 3-5% reduction in fuel economy. But mileage is only one parameter," the ministry said.

The Centre mandated the nationwide sale of E20 petrol from April 1 as part of its push to increase ethanol blending, reduce dependence on imported crude oil and cut emissions.

The rollout has, however, triggered criticism from motorists and concerns from sections of the automobile industry, with users reporting lower mileage and some manufacturers raising questions about the blended fuel's performance in older vehicles.

- Ends