What Are E20 Upgrade Kits? Installation, Cost, Benefits, And Viability, Explained

While the government is contemplating increasing the ethanol blend in petrol from 20 to 27% (E20 to E27), the majority of cars on Indian roads (made before April 2023) are only compatible with a 10% ethanol blend (E10). When these cars run on higher ethanol blends, it can lead to permanent engine damage, reduce fuel efficiency, and, in the long run, higher maintenance costs.

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What Are E20 Upgrade Kits?

To curb these issues, the largest passenger car manufacturer in India, Maruti Suzuki, is planning to offer E20 upgrade kits to its customers with cars that are 10 to 15 years old and not designed to be compliant with E20 petrol.

The E20 upgrade kits primarily include replacement parts for the rubber seals, gaskets, fuel lines, and other metallic, plastic, and rubber parts used in the fuel supply system of a car. With these parts, the fuel system can handle the premature wear or damage from E20 petrol.

How Can Owners Install E20 Upgrade Kits In Their Cars?

Compared to the factory-fitted parts in old cars (which can degrade faster when exposed to E20 petrol), these parts use materials that are resistant to ethanol-induced corrosion. To get these parts installed, owners would need to visit their nearest authorized service centers or dealerships.

My primary concern with that, however, is whether Maruti Suzuki’s service centers will be able to handle the rush of older non-E20 compliant vehicles, and the regular footfall of modern cars that have walked in to get their vehicles serviced. Perhaps the E20 upgrade program could work better as a home service provided by a government body (like the HSRP service)? Time will tell.

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Although some engine retuning may also be required to ensure emission compliance and optimum performance, particularly for models with engines that are no longer in production, we aren’t aware of the exact procedure or what processes it might entail.

What Will E20 Upgrade Kits Cost?

Regarding the cost of the E20 upgrade kits, they could cost around Rs. 4,000 to Rs. 6,000 per kit, depending on the vehicle and the engine installed. Currently, it remains unclear whether the government plans to subsidize the upgrade kits, but doing so will reduce the financial burden it puts on the vehicle owners and result in broader adoption of E20 petrol.

Are E20 Upgrade Kits Effective?

While it is challenging to analyze the efficacy of the E20 upgrade kits without seeing any working prototypes, they should surely reduce the risk (to a significant extent) of ethanol-related damage in older vehicles that aren’t designed to run on less-concentrated versions of petrol.

However, the upgrade kits aren’t a permanent solution, as they don’t address the long-term engine performance and maintenance issues, along with the software/ECU tuning. Even with the upgrade kits, regular maintenance and periodic replacement of certain fuel system parts might be required. Hence, the upgrade kits are an interim solution at best.

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It’s good news for Maruti Suzuki owners, given that the automaker sells some of the most economical vehicles (with low running costs) to buyers from diverse backgrounds. We don’t have a particular availability timeline for the E20 upgrade kits, but they should arrive soon.

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