translated from Hindi

Gadkari Approves Rules for Use of E100 as Automobile Fuel

The government is moving to formalize high-ethanol fuels for vehicles, even as concerns persist over infrastructure, demand, mileage, and compatibility.

नितिन गडकरी ने गाड़ियों में 100 प्रतिशत एथेनॉल ईंधन के इस्तेमाल के नियमों को दी मंज़ूरी

The Wire Hindi · By द वायर स्टाफ · 15 June 2026 · read the original in Hindi →

New Delhi: Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that he has approved the implementation of rules governing the use of E100, that is, nearly 100 percent ethanol, as a fuel in automobiles.

Gadkari said on Saturday, June 13, that he had approved the rules the previous night, Friday, and that the step would help reduce India’s dependence on energy imports as well as pollution.

Speaking at a press conference in Nagpur on Saturday, he said, “Last night at 8:30, I signed the file that lays down the legal process for implementing rules on the use of 100% ethanol as automobile fuel in India.”

Gadkari’s announcement came a few days after he, together with Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, launched a version of Maruti Suzuki’s Wagon-R that can, in principle, run on E100. It is being described as India’s first flex-fuel passenger car. Such vehicles are designed to run on different ethanol-petrol blends, from E20 to E100.

A few days before that, the two ministers had also launched flex-fuel motorcycles manufactured by Hero, which can run on ethanol-petrol blends of up to E85.

In April, Gadkari’s ministry had issued a draft notification proposing that E100 be recognized as an approved automobile fuel.

Gadkari said on Saturday that other automobile manufacturers such as Mahindra, Hyundai and Toyota would also soon bring flex-fuel vehicles to the market.

The minister said, “People criticized me a great deal. It was said that I talk nonsense and that this is not possible, that vehicles cannot run on 100% ethanol. Misinformation was spread, I was targeted as well, and a paid campaign was run saying that the use of ethanol-blended fuel damages vehicles.”

It is worth noting that last year, when the government implemented E20 fuel across the country, many motorists opposed it. They argued that the new fuel was less efficient and that older vehicles were not compatible with it.

Amid rising concerns over E20 last year, the petroleum ministry clarified that the use of ethanol causes a slight reduction in mileage. According to the ministry, mileage may fall by about 1-2% in four-wheelers designed for E10 and calibrated to be compatible with E20, while in other vehicles the reduction may be 3-6%.

Unlike E20, E85 and E100 fuels require flex-fuel engines. The government plans to make E85 available at about 500 petrol pumps by December and to increase that number to around 5,000 by the end of 2027.

Last week, the Financial Express reported that petrol pump operators are concerned about the introduction of E85. They say petrol pumps do not have enough space and that demand for this high-ethanol blend is also very low.

Speaking to the newspaper’s correspondent Nitin Kumar, one dealer said, “At present, consumer demand for E85 is almost nonexistent. Despite this, operators are being asked to set aside infrastructure and valuable space for it. In the initial phase, sales of flex-fuel vehicles are expected to remain limited, especially to two-wheelers. Until the number of such vehicles reaches a sufficient level, a large part of this infrastructure may remain unused.”