New Delhi: Leading passenger vehicle manufacturers Maruti Suzuki India Ltd and Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) have reassured customers over the use of E20 petrol, saying extensive testing and real-world data show no evidence that the higher ethanol blend causes engine damage, excessive wear and tear or an increase in insurance claims.
According to an NDTV Profit report, executives from both companies said concerns surrounding E20 fuel are largely unfounded, adding that vehicle-related complaints are more likely to stem from fuel contamination or adulteration than from the ethanol blend itself.
Maruti Suzuki Senior Executive Officer Rahul Bharti said the company had carried out extensive testing on both new and older vehicles.
"There is this concern or fear on corrosion, wear and tear, reduction in life. We want to give a statement of confidence -- there is no such concern," Bharti said.
He said Maruti Suzuki tested E20 petrol in vehicles manufactured before 2010 and found no abnormal wear, corrosion or reliability issues.
According to Bharti, the company serviced more than 2.5 crore vehicles during FY26, including over 1.5 crore older-generation vehicles, without identifying any concerns related to E20 fuel.
"Even in those cars we have not noticed anything of concern," he said, adding that customers can confidently use E20 petrol in Maruti Suzuki vehicles.
Toyota Kirloskar Motor echoed the same view, with Country Head Vikram Gulati saying neither Toyota nor the wider automobile industry has witnessed any increase in vehicle issues attributable to E20 petrol.
"There have been no such complaints coming to our dealerships related to E20 fuel," Gulati said.
Both companies also dismissed concerns that E20 petrol has led to a rise in insurance claims.
Bharti said Maruti Suzuki has not recorded any increase in insurance claims linked to E20 fuel, while Toyota also said it has found no trend connecting insurance claims with ethanol-blended petrol.
Responding to complaints occasionally raised by motorists, both manufacturers said fuel contamination or adulteration is a far more likely cause than the ethanol content.
The executives, however, acknowledged that E20 petrol results in a marginal reduction in fuel efficiency because ethanol has a lower calorific value than conventional petrol.
With IANS inputs