A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the government to ensure availability of Ethanol-free (E0) petrol at fuel stations in the country, a report said. The petition challenges Centre’s order for the Ethanol Blending Programme, which makes it mandatory to sell petrol blended with 20% Ethanol, it added.
The petition has also sought a mandatory label for Ethanol content, adding that consumers must be first informed about the Ethanol compatibility of their vehicles.
The petition has also demanded a nationwide study on mechanical degradation and efficiency loss due to Ethanol-blended fuel, reported Live Law.
Questions raised on E20 fuel’s compatibility for vehicles
Petitioner advocate Akshay Malhotra has argued that millions of Indians are not aware that petrol in their vehicles is not 100% petrol but a mix of ethanol and petrol. This, he said, violates the basic component of an informed consumer choice due to non-disclosure of a material fact to the consumer, Live Law added.
The plea stated that the use of E20 petrol will have adverse affects on fuel efficiency and can lead to corrosion of various components of the vehicles. This will lead to additional financial and mental burden for the consumers, it further said.
Besides these, he argues that Centre did not consult the automobile manufacturers, nor it allowed them proper time to design and release vehicles compliant with E20, which is “unreasonable and arbitrary.”
No ‘low price’ another key concern
The petitioner, as per Live Law, has mentioned that the vehicles manufactured in India prior to April 2023 are not compatible with ethanol-mixed petrol. He said vehicles as recent as 2 years old are BS-VI compliant, but again, not compatible with 20% ethanol.
The petitioner also mentioned that despite mixing petrol with 20% ethanol, the price has not come down. He said whatever profits the companies are gaining by mixing Ethanol, are not being passed on to the end customers.
The plea stated that in the US and EU, both ethanol-free and ethanol-blended fuel are available with proper labels so that consumers can make an informed choice. He said that ethanol content in petrol causes corrosion of engine parts, ultimately leading to lower fuel efficiency.
The case comes on a day when Union Road Transport and Highways Minister, Nitin Gadkari said there’s a “petroleum lobby” which is spreading “misinformation” about E20 fuel.