NEW DELHI: Seeking to allay public fears over ethanol-blended fuel, petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri Thursday said a “make-believe” narrative had been unleashed on social media over the past few days.Addressing a press conference, the minister said the reduction in mileage of an E20-fuelled vehicle is “minor”. “It is well established that when you have ethanol in a vehicle, which they use in racing cars also, the acceleration increases, knocking improves. Mileage may drop a little, but it can happen because of many other reasons also,” he said. Puri added that insurance companies had also issued clarifications regarding vehicle coverage.Puri said his ministry had compiled a 15-page note tracing the journey of ethanol blending, listing the countries where it is practised. The note will also answer people’s concerns.The note stated that “misleading videos, selectively edited clips and sensational social media posts” were being circulated with the objective of “creating fear amongst vehicle owners” regarding the use of E20 fuel.Puri said India adopted 20% ethanol blending in petrol after consulting all stakeholders, including SIAM and ARAI, and would move to 25% blending only after completing all necessary tests. The minister said the concept of ethanol blending was not new and prominent car maker Henry Ford called it the “fuel of the future”.
