Key facts
- Top Indian automakers Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, and Mahindra privately expressed concerns about contaminants in E20 ethanol-blended petrol.
- Industry data indicated high chloride and moisture levels in E20 fuel samples collected from across India.
- The permissible limit for chloride in fuel is 3 parts per million (ppm), but samples showed levels up to 570 ppm.
- Moisture levels in fuel samples reached up to 13,000 ppm, exceeding the permissible benchmark of 3,000 ppm.
- The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) withdrew a letter detailing these contamination concerns, citing insufficient data.
- Government officials stated that extensive testing found only four cases of contamination and no cause for alarm.
Hours after the Indian government publicly assured the safety of its ethanol-blended petrol (E20), the country's main auto lobby group, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), withdrew a complaint it had submitted a week prior, citing the need for further checks on some figures. However, separate communications reviewed by Reuters reveal that top automakers Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, and Mahindra had, in the preceding days, discussed significant concerns about contaminants like chloride and moisture in E20 fuel.
These automakers, which collectively hold 67% of India's car market, had compiled extensive fuel testing data, collecting over 250 samples from pumps across 21 states over a year. Their findings indicated high chloride contamination in 18 states, with levels ranging from 6 to 570 parts per million (ppm), far exceeding the government's permissible limit of 3 ppm. Moisture content was also found to be high, reaching up to 13,000 ppm in some states, surpassing the benchmark of 3,000 ppm.
In internal emails, Maruti's senior executive Anoop Bhat noted that high chloride findings had been privately discussed with the petroleum ministry. Mahindra's R. Ramaprabhu stated that organic chloride was responsible for rapid vehicle failures, potentially spoiling engines within 200 km. These executives did not express concerns about data authentication in their private communications.
SIAM stated that the data was intended for internal circulation and validation, and that the testing basis and sample size were insufficient for definitive conclusions, leading to the withdrawal of their letter. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas did not respond to requests for comment. Minister Hardeep Singh Puri stated that rigorous testing by oil marketing companies had found only four cases of contamination. State-run fuel retailers also reported no cause for alarm. Mahindra, however, called conclusions drawn from executive emails "baseless and incorrect," asserting that industry data was preliminary and that it sees no issues with E20 fuel.