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Kejriwal has stated that consumers are being provided with conflicting information from automobile manufacturers. According to him, some companies have publicly stated that E20 petrol is safe for older vehicles. However, he claims that their own owner’s manuals advise against using petrol containing more than 10 percent ethanol in vehicles manufactured before 2023.

During a recent press conference, Kejriwal has stated that he has sent separate letters to Maruti Suzuki India, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, and Hero MotoCorp. He added that he has also sent 26 other automobile manufacturers a different letter in which he has asked for their official position on E20 petrol.

According to Kejriwal, representatives from Maruti Suzuki, Toyota Kirloskar, and Hero MotoCorp had participated in the Centre’s press conference held on July 4. During the conference, they reportedly stated that E20 petrol can safely be used in older vehicles.

They also said that fuel efficiency could reduce only slightly, by around 3 to 5 percent, and that the fuel does not damage engines. However, Kejriwal has alleged that these statements contradict what is written in the companies’ owner’s manuals.

The biggest issue raised by Kejriwal is what he calls a contradiction between the statements made during the government’s press conference and the information printed in vehicle owners’ manuals. According to him, the manuals of many vehicles manufactured before 2023 clearly advise owners not to use petrol blended with more than 10 percent ethanol.

He has argued that if a company’s official owner’s manual recommends E10 petrol, then publicly claiming that E20 is completely safe creates confusion among customers. Kejriwal has also highlighted that an owner’s manual is not just an information booklet. It forms part of the agreement between the manufacturer and the customer. As a result, companies should publicly clarify which of the two positions represents their official stand.

Apart from asking for a complete clarification, Kejriwal has also asked Maruti Suzuki, Toyota Kirloskar, and Hero MotoCorp to provide a written assurance to customers. He has asked whether these companies are willing to compensate customers if the use of E20 petrol results in lower mileage or causes any damage to their vehicles.

He said if manufacturers are confident that E20 petrol is completely safe for older vehicles, they should be willing to stand behind that claim in writing. The remaining 26 automobile manufacturers have also been asked to clarify their official position regarding E20 petrol, its impact on vehicle performance, mileage, and any possible mechanical issues.

Kejriwal has also announced that he will visit petrol pumps, automobile mechanics, and service centres on July 9. He said he wants to interact directly with vehicle owners and mechanics to understand their experiences with E20 petrol.

According to him, these discussions will help him understand whether people are actually facing issues to mileage. He added that he would also talk about the drop in performance and vehicle component issues after the nationwide rollout of E20 petrol.

Prior to this, Kejriwal had also announced that he would write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting the government to make E20 petrol optional instead of mandatory. He questioned who would compensate vehicle owners if their mileage dropped significantly or if their vehicles suffered damage due to the use of E20 fuel. He has also requested the government to allow consumers to choose between different grades of petrol instead of making only E20 available across the country.

As we all know, the Government of India has been consistently stating that E20 petrol is safe and has undergone extensive testing before being introduced nationwide. According to the government, the ethanol blending programme helps in reducing crude oil imports, improving India’s energy security, lowering emissions, and promoting domestic biofuel production.

The government has also stated that higher ethanol blends will continue to be introduced only after proper testing and consultations with stakeholders. At the time of writing, there has been no official response from Maruti Suzuki, Toyota Kirloskar, Hero MotoCorp, or the other automobile manufacturers regarding Kejriwal’s letters written to them.