Ethanol blending in fuel

Ethanol blending in fuel -Why road ahead is bumpy -Indian Express

India’s rapid transition to 20% ethanol-blended petrol (E20), ahead of the original schedule, has triggered concerns among vehicle owners over lower mileage, compatibility of older vehicles, possible material damage and lack of fuel-choice at petrol pumps. 

Ahead of Schedule

• India fully transitioned to 20% ethanol-blended petrol (E20) last year, five years ahead of the original 2030 target.
• E20 fuel, made of 80% petrol and 20% ethanol, is now the standard petrol variant available nationwide.
• The average ethanol blending level doubled from 10% to 20% within three years, instead of the earlier planned eight-year timeline.
• The quick transition has created concerns for owners of older vehicles and two-wheelers designed for E10 fuel.

Key Problems with Higher Ethanol Blends

• Higher ethanol blending can cause a drop in fuel economy, depending on when the vehicle was manufactured.
• E20 fuel may damage parts in older internal combustion engine vehicles due to ethanol’s hygroscopic nature, which attracts and holds water molecules.
• Vehicle owners do not currently have the option to choose different fuel blends at petrol pumps.
• Regular ICE vehicles running on higher ethanol blends may show reduced mileage and harder cold starts in winter.
• E10 fuel had limited impact on vehicle performance, but blends above 10% are said to affect operations.

Material Damage

• The government asked the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) to study the impact of E20 fuel on fuel-system components.
• ARAI tested eight metals, six elastomers and four plastics used in vehicle components.
• The study compared E20 fuel with commercial petrol and E10 as baseline fuel.
• ARAI concluded that E20’s impact on tested metals was insignificant based on corrosion rates.
• Polychloroprene and fluoro-elastomer components performed similar or better with E20 in most properties.
• The impact of E20 on tensile strength and volume change properties was found to be higher than commercial petrol.

E25 and E85

• There is a plan to move from E20 to E25 in the future.
• The government also plans to introduce E85 fuel for flex-fuel vehicles.
• In flex-fuel vehicles, E85 may be cheaper to run than standard E20 petrol.
• E85 fuel will likely cost about ₹20 per litre less than E20 petrol.
• For E85 to be beneficial, the price difference must be higher than the fuel-efficiency loss of over 25%.
• Vehicle manufacturers fear the impact from E20 to E25 may be greater than the earlier shift from E10 to E20.