NEW DELHI, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- India's chief economic adviser V Anantha Nageswaran has proposed bringing back lower-ethanol-blend petrol for older vehicles, while allowing newer vehicles to continue using E20.
The suggestion came at a time when the Indian government had made E20, or petrol blended with 20 percent ethanol, the standard petrol blend nationwide.
In an op-ed published Monday in the New Delhi-based newspaper The Indian Express, Nageswaran and co-author Akash Poojari, a consultant in India's Department of Economic Affairs, proposed giving owners of older vehicles the option of buying E10, while newer vehicles continue to use E20.
According to the article, India has around 75-80 million two-wheelers built for E10, and many of these vehicles were not designed to run on higher ethanol blends.
The issue, they argued, is not simply about mileage. Older engines can face compatibility problems because ethanol can affect components such as rubber seals and fuel-system parts. Carburettor-based vehicles can also struggle with higher ethanol blends.
India rolled out E20 petrol last year, and since April 1 this year, it has been the only fuel available for sale at gas stations across the country. The move by the government is part of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plans to reduce oil imports and help curb pollution. The government promotes it as a means to create a domestic market for ethanol produced from sugarcane, maize and other feedstocks. ■