Ethanol Blended Fuel: E20 Fuel Reduces Mileage In E10 Cars, Says Maruti Suzuki Official

At a government press conference in New Delhi, Maruti Suzuki India's Corporate Affairs Senior Executive Officer Rahul Bharti addressed concerns over ethanol-blended E20 fuel, stating that using E20 fuel in E10-designed vehicles results in a slight reduction in mileage. He explained that this is due to the lower "calorific" or energy content of E20 compared to E10, estimating the impact at roughly 3-3.5%, or about 0.6 km per litre for a car that typically gives 20 km per litre. Bharti added that factors like tyre pressure, driving pattern and maintenance cause far greater variation in mileage than the fuel switch itself.