The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said he is writing to 29 automobile manufacturers to seek their stance over ethanol blending.
“I am writing to 29 automobile manufacturers. The letters have already been prepared and are being dispatched while this press conference is underway. Of the 29, I have written separate letters to three companies today, while the remaining 26 have received a different letter. The three companies are Maruti, Toyota Kirloskar, and Hero,” AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal said while addressing a press conference.
Kejriwal said that during the government’s press conference on July 4, their representatives stated that it is safe to use E20 fuel in older vehicles. They said fuel efficiency may decline slightly by around 3–5% but that it does not damage the vehicle.
“Accordingly, I have written a separate letter to these three companies… Toyota Kirloskar, Maruti, and Hero. In the letter, I have pointed out that they stated at the July 4 government press conference that E20 can be used in older vehicles, with only a marginal reduction in mileage of about 4–5% and no harm to the vehicle,” he said.
“However, their owners’ manuals state that under no circumstances should vehicles manufactured before 2023 use petrol blended with more than 10% ethanol. These are two contradictory positions. Your published owner’s manual, which forms part of the agreement between the consumer and the company, says one thing, while your representatives say something entirely different at a government press conference. This is not a minor mistake or discrepancy. Therefore, I have asked them to publicly clarify their actual position in writing.”
Earlier, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri had strongly defended the government’s clean energy push, dismissing social media scepticism surrounding E20 (20 per cent ethanol-blended) petrol.
Addressing specific consumer apprehensions regarding vehicular performance and fuel efficiency under the E20 regime, Puri noted that the trade-offs are minimal compared to the performance advantages.