PIL In Supreme Court Against Rollout Of 20% Ethanol Blended Petrol

New Delhi: A public interest litigation (PIL) petition has been filed at the Supreme Court against rollout of 20 per cent Ethanol Blended Petrol (E20).

The petition filed by advocate Akshay Malhotra states that the E20 petrol rollout was done without giving consumers the choice to opt for ethanol free fuel. According to the petition, vehicles manufactured in India prior to April, 2023 are not compatible with ethanol mix petrol and up to two year old vehicles, though BS-VI compliant, are also not compatible with E20 petrol.

According to automobile manufacturers and reports of research bodies, ethanol blending causes corrosion of engine parts, lowers fuel efficiency and leads to premature wear and tear of vehicles, the plea alleges. Any such damage will not be covered by insurance companies leaving consumers in the lurch, it adds.

“As the vehicles are not compatible with ethanol blended petrol which will result in damage to the said vehicles, the claim raised in this regard will not be covered by the manufacturers or the insurance companies as the consumers have violated the terms specified,” the plea states.

The petition has highlighted that in the USA, ethanol blended petrol to the extent of 10 per cent is standard but ethanol-free petrol is also available and in the European Union, blends of 5 per cent and 10 per cent co-exist with clear labelling.

“In India, without informing the consumers, only ethanol blended petrol is made available to the public without any labelling or display of composition of the fuel,” the plea alleges.

The petitioner has sought directions to ensure the availability of ethanol-free petrol at all fuel stations, mandatory labelling of ethanol content, enforcement of the Consumer Protection Act and a nationwide impact study on vehicle degradation due to E20 usage.

The petitioner also stated that though now petrol is mixed with 20 per cent Ethanol, its price has not been reduced.

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