Overview
- The central government has denied reports of an imminent E25 rollout and said no decision has been taken while vehicle and fuel tests are still under way.
- Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and Nitin Gadkari defended the national E20 programme and said automakers and service providers report no widespread failures with E20.
- Policy steps that set fuel rules for 22–30% ethanol and exempted excise duty on those blends prompted public speculation that E25 was imminent, which officials say was a misreading of regulatory moves.
- Technical findings reported by testing bodies and industry sources note E20 can cut fuel economy because ethanol has lower energy content and may accelerate wear of rubber fuel-system parts in older vehicles.
- The government will review completed technical trials with automobile manufacturers and dealers before moving beyond E20, and officials say any increase will be phased to protect motorists and allow industry adjustments.