Union Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri recently defended the government's ethanol blending programme, stating that ethanol is not only a cleaner fuel but can also deliver strong performance benefits.
Responding to concerns over fuel efficiency, Puri cited motorsport as an example of ethanol's capabilities.
"Somebody is saying that fuel mileage is going to drop. It is now well established that ethanol is even used in racing cars. Acceleration improves. Knocking also improves. Mileage? Yes, it may drop a little. But it may drop slightly due to various factors," he said.
Although ethanol contains less energy than petrol, resulting in lower fuel economy, it can still improve vehicle performance under the right conditions.
Why ethanol can improve performance
Speaking to Auto Today, Vikram Gulati explained that ethanol's performance advantages depend on how an engine is designed rather than the fuel's energy content.
"Formula One cars, which represent the best of performance, use ethanol, so you get much better torque and much better acceleration using ethanol than with petrol," Gulati said.
He acknowledged that ethanol's lower energy density is an established scientific fact.
"The issue really is the lower energy density of ethanol versus petrol. Therefore, your mileage does drop, but there is science behind it. If you look at the chemical formula of the two products and the energy content, you can easily figure out that the difference is going to be around 30 per cent if you're using E100. Some of that can be recovered by engineering the engine to some extent," he explained.
According to Gulati, ethanol's higher octane rating allows engineers to design engines with higher compression ratios, more aggressive ignition timing and increased turbo boost without causing engine knock. These characteristics enable greater power and torque.
Ethanol also absorbs more heat during evaporation, cooling the intake air and increasing its density. The cooler air contains more oxygen, improving combustion efficiency while reducing the likelihood of engine knocking, making ethanol particularly suitable for high-performance engines.
Why regular flex-fuel cars may not feel faster
Gulati noted that the performance gains seen in racing cars cannot be directly expected from everyday flex-fuel vehicles.
Dedicated racing machines, Formula One engines and performance cars specifically developed for ethanol are optimised to take full advantage of the fuel's properties. In contrast, production flex-fuel vehicles are designed to operate on a wide range of fuel blends, from petrol and E20 to E85, requiring a more balanced engine calibration.
"A flex-fuel vehicle is really peace of mind because it is future-proof. It can take any mix of ethanol. Even if tomorrow the blending percentage changes, the consumer doesn't have to worry because the vehicle is tuned to accept any ethanol mix," Gulati said.
As a result, while flex-fuel vehicles provide greater compatibility with varying ethanol blends, they may not fully realise E85's performance potential. In some cases, performance may remain similar to—or be marginally lower than—that of petrol because of ethanol's lower energy density.
Koenigsegg CCXR demonstrated ethanol's potential
A notable example of ethanol's performance capabilities came in 2007 with the launch of the Koenigsegg CCXR.
Unlike vehicles that merely accommodate ethanol, the CCXR was engineered specifically to exploit E85 fuel. Using its high octane rating, Koenigsegg extracted exceptional performance from a 4.7-litre twin-supercharged V8 engine.
Running on E85, the hypercar produced 1,018 bhp and 1,060 Nm of torque, achieving a claimed top speed of 402 kmph and accelerating from 0 to 100 kmph in just 3.1 seconds.
With fewer than 50 units produced, the CCXR remains one of the clearest examples of ethanol's potential as a high-performance fuel when engines are specifically designed around it.
Lower mileage remains a trade-off
Despite its performance advantages, ethanol's lower energy content means reduced fuel economy remains an inherent compromise.
Gulati argued that governments can offset this disadvantage through appropriate fuel pricing.
"World over, governments have ensured that the consumer does not have any adverse economic or financial impact by maintaining an adequate difference in the pricing of petrol versus ethanol. The consumer should not feel the pinch of losing fuel efficiency because the total cost of operation should still be better than that of petrol," he said.
Looking ahead, Gulati said ethanol would be one component of India's future mobility landscape rather than a replacement for conventional fuels.
"The future is going to be multi-fuel. Petrol and diesel are not really going away anywhere soon. The future will look like a mix of electric, flex-fuel with ethanol, petrol, diesel and gas all combined," he said.
Debate extends beyond performance
While Gulati's comments explain the technical aspects of ethanol's performance, the broader public debate has increasingly centred on vehicle compatibility and consumer choice.
India Today Digital News Director Kamlesh Kishore Singh argued in a post on X that the key issue is not ethanol itself but ensuring that motorists have access to fuel appropriate for their vehicles.
"The minister is right. Kerosene is used in aeroplanes. But selling kerosene-blended petrol is a punishable offence. Why? Because the cars aren't made for kerosene, even though they can run on that fuel.
This strawmanning by strawmen has no feet. Nobody is asking you to scrap the ethanol policy. They just want the appropriate fuel for their cars. E10 for E10 compliant. E20 for E20 compliant. And E0 for non-compliant."
The remarks underscore a separate dimension of the ethanol debate, focusing on matching fuel blends to vehicle specifications rather than questioning ethanol's technical capabilities.
Gulati reiterated that India's mobility future is likely to involve multiple fuel technologies rather than a single solution.
"The future is going to be multi-fuel. Petrol and diesel are not really going away anywhere soon. The future will look like a mix of electric, flex-fuel with ethanol, petrol, diesel and gas all combined," he said.
