Flex-fuel vehicles better fit for India than E25 rollout: AIDA

New Delhi: Flex-fuel vehicles are a better option for India than rolling out E25 petrol blends because they address concerns over engine performance and fuel efficiency, making them easier to implement, All India Distillers' Association president Vijendra Singh said.

A national debate has been raging over the impact of 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol (E20) on the engines and fuel efficiency of vehicles not designed to run on such fuel, with many consumers demanding either a rollback of the programme or the option to buy petrol with a lower or zero ethanol blend.

Singh said rolling back the E20 programme was not an option and that owners of vehicles not designed for the fuel should approach automobile manufacturers for assistance. "If some tuning is required, they should get the car engine tuned for that," he said.

A rollback would raise fuel prices, increase crude oil imports and hurt farmers' incomes, Singh said. "The whole ecosystem built up with the hard work of 10-15 years will go to waste."

India launched its National Policy on Biofuels in 2018, offering 50 per cent interest subvention to entrepreneurs to encourage the creation of new ethanol production capacity.