E20 petrol may harm BS-III vehicle rubber parts, says Nitin Gadkari

NEW DELHI: Road transport minister Nitin Gadkari informed Rajya Sabha Wednesday BS-III vehicles, manufactured between 2005 and 2016, may require replacement of some rubber parts and gaskets when run on E20 petrol, while adding studies have found no major impact of the blended fuel on overall vehicle performance.In a reply to a question, Gadkari said studies conducted by IOCL, Indian Institute of Petroleum, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers and Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) found BS-VI vehicles continued to meet emission norms when tested with E20 fuel.No need to modify engines: GadkariGadkari added studies have not shown any need to modify the car and two-wheeler engines. “These studies confirmed that even legacy vehicles did not exhibit any significant variations in performance, nor do they show abnormal wear-and-tear when operated with E20 fuel. No issues were reported in parameters such as drivability, startability, metal compatibility, and plastic compatibility,” he said.However, the minister said tests on BS-III vehicles manufactured before 2016 indicated that some rubber parts and gaskets may require replacement.TOI on July 7 first reported that an ARAI report, which is yet to be made public, had concluded E20 fuel may damage rubber parts in E10 compliant vehicles.Government has maintained that the loss in mileage depends on factors, including driving habits, maintenance practices such as oil and air-filter changes, tyre pressure, wheel alignment and air-conditioner usage.Get the latest Business News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.