Ethanol has recently gained significant attention in India due to new fuel policy developments and the rollout of higher ethanol blends.
In May, the government officially notified fuel standards for higher ethanol–petrol blends, including E22, E25, E27 and E30. Shortly after, on June 5, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated Delhi’s first E85 fuel dispensing station at Indian Oil’s Pusa Road outlet, marking the commercial introduction of high-ethanol fuel in the capital.
At present, only a limited number of vehicles in India are compatible with E85 fuel. Among four-wheelers, the Maruti Suzuki WagonR Flex Fuel is currently the only available model. In the two-wheeler segment, compatible models include the Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 Flex Fuel, Hero Splendor+ Flex Fuel and Hero HF Deluxe Flex Fuel.
Why E85 Consumes More Fuel
E85 is priced lower per litre than standard blends, but it delivers lower mileage because ethanol contains less energy than petrol. Petrol typically has an energy content of about 32–34 MJ per litre, while ethanol contains roughly 21–24 MJ per litre. As a result, vehicles need more E85 fuel to produce the same power output.
In Delhi, E85 is priced at around ₹82.12 per litre, compared to ₹102.12 per litre for E20. While this appears cheaper, the lower energy density leads to reduced efficiency.
Mileage Test: E20 vs E85 (Suzuki Gixxer SF Flex Fuel)
A comparison test was conducted using the Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 Flex Fuel to evaluate real-world performance.
With E20 fuel, the motorcycle covered 124.2 km using 2.44 litres of fuel, delivering a mileage of 50.9 km/l.
With E85 fuel, it covered 127 km using 4.37 litres, resulting in a mileage of 29.06 km/l.
This represents a drop of about 42.9% in fuel efficiency when switching from E20 to E85.
Running Cost Comparison
Despite being cheaper per litre, E85 turned out to be more expensive to run due to higher fuel consumption:
E20 running cost: ~₹2.00/km
E85 running cost: ~₹2.82/km
On a 100 km basis, E20 cost around ₹200, while E85 cost about ₹282. For 1,000 km, E20 cost approximately ₹2,004 compared to ₹2,822 for E85.
Conclusion from the Test
The results highlight a clear trade-off: although E85 is nearly 20% cheaper per litre, its significantly lower efficiency leads to higher overall running costs in this case.
For now, E20 remains the more economical option for users focused purely on fuel savings, while E85’s advantages are more related to renewable fuel use and emissions reduction rather than cost efficiency.
