‘Look at the ₹22 lakh crore we send abroad for fuel',' says Nitin Gadkari backing E20 cars

Since the introduction of E20 fuel in India, there have been questions about how the higher ethanol mix affects older vehicles which are not compliant. Addressing an important aspect of this discussion, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, in a written response in Parliament, clarified the Narendra Modi government's stance on the issue.

Nitin Gadkari backs  bioethanol-fuelled vehicles

The Minister replied in Parliament that there will be no requirement to phase out non-compliant vehicles. According to Gadkari, 87% energy is imported into the country, and as a result, ₹22 lakh crore of fuel money goes abroad.

“Shouldn’t that much money be saved?” he asked in a press appearance.

The Minister elaborated that by planting 360 crore trees, pollution drops as much as ethanol blending.

“Look at Delhi’s air,” he said. “Look at the ₹22 lakh crore we send abroad for fuel. Shouldn’t we cut pollution and stop this massive outflow together?"

He affirmed that the bioethanol-fuelled cars would further support PM Modi’s vision of Atmarirbhar Bharat.

Gadkari said, “Farmers prepare ethanol from broken rice, corn, sugarcane juice, molasses and rice straw. Its pollution is zero. The pollution of our country will end. Importation will end, and villagers will get employment. The farmers would be most benefited.”

Earlier, Gadkari had also described ethanol as the fuel of the future.

Presently, there are 550 plants in the country that produce ethanol, meanwhile. In a push to speed up the pace of ethanol adoption, IOC has already opened 400 ethanol pumps. 

On the other hand, India's push for ethanol-fuelled vehicles will hurt the mileage by 2%-4% but is safe to use, a lobby group representing the country's automakers said about the world's third-largest car market, citing a Reuters report. 

Addressing concerns about older vehicles, Gadkari had clarified that vehicles sold before April 1, 2023, were designed for E10, while vehicles sold after that date are E20 material-compliant.

While this does not bar older vehicles from using E20, it does mean they were not originally engineered for higher ethanol content.

Also read: Ola Electric launches same-day registration and delivery of 4680 Bharat Cell-powered vehicles in Bengaluru (startuppedia.in)