ARAI study: E20 fuel use drops consumption by 2-6% over E10 fuel

Controlled tests by ARAI and vehicle makers found that E20 fuel led to a 2-6% drop in fuel consumption compared to E10. ARAI Director Dr Reji Mathai said the study used diverse vehicles under controlled lab conditions to isolate the fuel's impact.

Vehicles running on E20 fuel showed a 2 to 6 per cent drop in fuel consumption compared with E10 fuel in controlled tests conducted by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) along with vehicle manufacturers, ARAI Director Dr Reji Mathai said in an exclusive interview with ANI.

Controlled Testing with OEMs

Explaining the findings of the study, Dr Mathai said the tests were designed to isolate the impact of the fuel blend under controlled laboratory conditions. "The studies were done along with the OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), the vehicle manufacturers who understand their vehicles very well, to assess the impact of E20 compared to E10," he said.

"We understand that ethanol as a fuel has a slightly lower calorific value. So the blend also has a slightly lower calorific value. There is a controlled test being done for fuel consumption," Dr Mathai added.

According to him, the tests were conducted in laboratory conditions where external variables could be eliminated to accurately measure the effect of the fuel. "When these tests are done in controlled conditions -- chamber temperatures maintained, vehicles on rollers -- we can precisely understand the impact due to the fuel," he said.

Results Across Varied Vehicles

Dr Mathai said ARAI and automobile manufacturers jointly selected a diverse set of vehicles to ensure the assessment covered different vehicle ages. "We studied varied vehicles, selected by OEMs along with us. Some were 10 years old, some around 8 years old, and some 3 to 4 years old," he said.

"These vehicles, when tested, showed a range of around 2 to 6% drop in fuel consumption," Dr Mathai said.

Implications for India's Fuel Policy

The findings come as India continues to expand the use of E20 petrol, a blend containing 20 per cent ethanol and 80 per cent petrol, as part of its broader strategy to reduce crude oil imports, lower emissions and increase the use of domestically produced biofuels.

The ARAI study provides controlled test data on how the higher ethanol blend affects vehicle fuel economy across different vehicle categories. (ANI)

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