TL; DR
- E20 rollout faces opposition; older vehicles risk corrosion and reduced mileage.
- Honda City test: additive improved mileage from 12.4 to 12.9 km per litre.
- Additives give small gains; cost ₹300 to ₹600 monthly; not long-term protection.
The new E20 petrol is the talk of the town, and not always for the right reasons. While the government is pushing it through nationwide, the rollout has been far from smooth. A recent survey by LocalCircles revealed that nearly 66% of 36,000 vehicle owners oppose the national implementation, with many demanding complete withdrawal.
If you drive a car or ride a motorcycle made before 2023, you’ve probably wondered whether this new fuel, with its 20% ethanol blend, is slowly damaging your engine. Some drivers report reduced mileage, while others worry about long-term engine wear. The government maintains that the shift helps energy security and performance, claiming most new cars can handle it without issues.
This got us thinking about those fuel additives you see everywhere—the little bottles of “engine-friendly concoctions” that promise to clean your engine, protect it from ethanol, and boost performance. But do they actually work with the current E20 fuel? We ran a real-world experiment to find out.
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The Problem with Older Cars
The issue is straightforward: the petrol at your nearest station now follows E20 norms, meaning it’s 80% petrol and 20% ethanol. Ethanol attracts moisture, which can be harsh on rubber and plastic components, potentially leading to damaged engine parts and, in extreme cases, rust buildup in the fuel tank and lines.
“Ethanol is hygroscopic—it absorbs moisture from the air,” explains automotive expert Rajesh Sharma from Delhi’s Auto Components Association. “This moisture can cause corrosion in older fuel systems and dilute engine oil faster than normal.”
Our Real-World Test
For our test, we chose a trusted workhorse: a 2020 Honda City. It represents millions of vehicles on Indian roads today—reliable, efficient, and crucially, not E20-compliant.
First, we established a baseline. We ran the car for a week purely on E20 petrol from a regular public fuel pump, driving through a mix of Faridabad’s city traffic and highway stretches on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. The car ran fine, but felt slightly less responsive than we remembered. Fuel efficiency hovered around 12.4 km/l, a clear drop from the 13.5-14 km/l it delivered on the older E10 fuel.
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Next came the additive test. We selected a reputable brand of ethanol-compatible fuel system cleaner and stabilizer. These products claim to prevent corrosion by neutralizing the water that ethanol absorbs, while cleaning carbon deposits from fuel injectors and valves. Overall, these solutions promise to act as fuel stabilizers, giving engines relief from contaminants.
With the fuel tank nearly empty, we added the recommended amount of additive, then filled up with E20 petrol.
The Cost Reality
Quality fuel additives cost between ₹150-300 per treatment, enough for 40-60 liters of fuel. For the average driver filling up twice monthly, this adds roughly ₹300-600 to monthly fuel expenses. While not insignificant, it’s considerably cheaper than potential repair costs from ethanol-related damage.
The Results
We drove the car on the exact same routes for the next week. The first change we noticed was subjective—the engine seemed to idle more smoothly, and the slight hesitation during initial acceleration was less pronounced. It wasn’t a dramatic transformation, more like switching from regular shoes to ones with slightly better cushioning. Noticeable, but not life-changing.
The real test came in the numbers. After a week of driving, we analyzed the data. The final fuel efficiency figure was 12.9 km/l—an improvement of 0.5 km/l, or about 4%. While it didn’t restore the glory days of E10 mileage, it was a measurable, positive change.
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Industry Response and Government Stance
Major fuel companies have responded to concerns by continuing to offer premium petrol grades with built-in additives for older vehicles. Indian Oil’s XP95 and Speed, HP’s Power, and Shell’s V-Power contain corrosion inhibitors and cleaning agents, though at premium prices. Some automakers have proposed E10 to E20 conversion kits for older vehicles, but this development is still in early stages without clear cost assessments.
The government maintains that E20 is completely safe even for older vehicles and that all vehicles sold from January 2025 onwards are fully compatible with the new fuel norms. However, consumers continue demanding separate E10 fuel availability at petrol stations nationwide—a proposal the Ministry isn’t keen on implementing.
The Bottom Line
Should you rush out and buy fuel additives for your non-E20 car? My answer is a cautious yes.
While they don’t eliminate all concerns, additives offer a practical bridge solution for the estimated 80 million pre-2023 vehicles on Indian roads. Let’s be clear: fuel additives aren’t magic bullets. They won’t re-engineer your car’s fuel lines to make them ethanol-proof, and the long-term effects of E20 on older rubber seals and gaskets remain a concern that no bottle can completely fix.
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However, they can act as valuable protective shields. The mileage improvement we observed likely came from cleaning agents clearing up the injectors, allowing the engine to run more efficiently. Spending a few hundred rupees per tank on additives might keep your trusted older vehicle running as smoothly as possible in this new E20 world.
Note: This test involved single-day road loops under stable weather conditions, mixing city and highway driving from the same pump with full-tank calculations. This is a journalistic test, not lab certification, and your results may vary based on route, traffic, and driving style.
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