A heated debate over India’s E20 ethanol-blended petrol has been reignited after popular YouTuber Saurav Joshi said his Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4MATIC was run down by a lot after changing to the new fuel. The SUV mileage dropped from 16-17 km/l to only 5 km/l and motorists are now wondering what impact E20 petrol would have on premium vehicles, he said.
The claims quickly went viral on social media, where many users said something similar about vehicle performance. The issue also entered the political arena after opposition leader Arvind Kejriwal posted videos and garage footage of allegedly damaged vehicles in question, and questioned E20 fuel’s deployment in India.
India completed the nationwide rollout of E20 petrol by the end of 2025 as part of its strategy to reduce crude oil imports, reduce carbon emissions and support farmers by increasing ethanol production from crops such as sugarcane. The initiative is a key component of the government's energy security and sustainability goals.
But Mercedes-Benz India has made it clear that its petrol-powered models from 2020 onwards are totally compatible with E20 fuel. They said they have been designed and tested to work safely with ethanol-blended petrol and customers should not experience engine damage if they use E20.
Experts in automotive history warned, however, that it is not advisable to link the mileage of a single car with fuel alone as it is not necessarily the fuel and therefore it is not safe to correlate the mileage of a single vehicle with the fuel. Mercedes GLC 300 drivers tell us about the Mercedes GLC 300 vehicles with a typical 9-12 km/l in a real-world driving experience, especially on hilly roads or in heavy traffic. Driving style, road conditions, tyre pressure, load, climate, and vehicle maintenance can impact fuel efficiency.
Ethanol contains less energy per litre than conventional petrol. In general, E20 fuel only causes a small reduction in mileage (around 2% to 6%). A drastic drop to 5 km/l would probably need to be considered for more reasons than just the fuel itself and would need to be closely examined.
Government agencies and the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) have also stated that testing has not revealed any widespread engine failures or unusual warranty claims related to E20 petrol in compatible vehicles. In fact, most modern vehicles that were built for E20 are, according to available data, performing in line with expected operational standards.
However, some owners of older petrol vehicles (which are ones made before E20 was standard) have reported problems from fuel system wear to repair costs. Automotive experts recommend that owners of older vehicles consult manufacturer's guidelines before using E20 fuel.
The controversy has revived the debate about India’s shift to cleaner fuels. The government’s ethanol-blending programme is intended to reduce emissions and to improve energy self-reliance and to benefit the agricultural sector, but consumers remain anxious about how the new fuel will impact different vehicle types in daily use.
At the same time, as discussions continue online, experts advise drivers to rely on manufacturer recommendations and maintenance guidelines, maintain their vehicles, and if fuel efficiency drops off on the road, it is critical to look for any sudden drop in fuel efficiency via authorised service centres as well as to investigate the reason for this problem rather than attributing it solely to the type of fuel used.
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