New Delhi7 minutes ago
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E85 fuel with 85% ethanol mix has been officially launched in Delhi. The special thing is that it is ₹ 20 per liter cheaper than E20 petrol sold in Delhi. This will not only reduce the driving expenses of the common people, but will also reduce the country’s dependence on crude oil imports.
Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated Delhi’s first E85 fuel dispensing station at the Pusa Road outlet of Indian Oil (IOC). With this, the sale of high-ethanol fuel has started in the country.
E85 petrol will be available at ₹ 82.12 per liter, there will be different branding.
The price of E85 fuel in Delhi has been fixed at ₹82.12 per liter. This is a full ₹20 less than the regular E20 petrol sold in Delhi. To avoid any kind of confusion among the customers at petrol pumps, a special branding and separate clearly visible label will be put on the machines (dispensers) that dispense E85 fuel.
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri started by filling E85 fuel in the flex fuel car.
500 pumps will open this year, target of 5000 by 2027
This station opened on Pusa Road is the first pump in Delhi, but the government plans to take it to a much bigger level. In the initial phase, the government will set up about 50 to 100 such E85 fuel stations in Delhi-NCR and Mumbai-Pune-Nagpur corridor.
According to the plan, by the end of this year the network of such stations in the country will be increased to about 500. At the same time, by the end of the year 2027, the target of the central government is to open about 5000 outlets in all the major cities of the country. The government has also recently notified high ethanol blend fuel standards like E22, E25, E27 and E30.
What is special about E85 flex fuel?
Currently, the petrol available at fuel stations across the country is E20, that is, it has a mix of 20% ethanol and 80% petrol. In contrast, the new E85 fuel contains up to 85% ethanol and only 15% gasoline. The government wants to move towards flex fuel like E100 i.e. 100% ethanol, so that the import of crude oil can be reduced.
Since the war in the Middle East started on February 28, crude oil prices have increased from $ 70 to $ 100 per barrel, due to which India’s import bill has increased rapidly.
Ethanol is made from agricultural products like sugarcane juice, corn and rotten grains, hence its cost is low. This is why it will prove to be quite economical for the customers, provided they have vehicles that support this fuel. This fuel also helps in reducing carbon emissions in the environment.
Can be used only in these selected vehicles
E85 fuel cannot be used in normal petrol vehicles. For this, the engine of the vehicles should be specifically based on ‘flex-fuel’ technology. At present, flex-fuel vehicles are not available in India.
- Maruti Suzuki WagonR Flex-Fuel: It is India’s first passenger car designed to run on blends up to E100 (100% ethanol), which is completely equivalent to E85. Read full news
- Hero Splendor+ and HF Deluxe: Hero MotoCorp has introduced the first flex-fuel motorcycle in the country’s mass-market 100cc segment. These bikes can run on fuel ranging from E20 to E85 and their sale will start in Delhi and some areas of Maharashtra from July 2026.
- Suzuki Gixxer SF: This bike is also included in this list which supports high-ethanol fuel.
Government’s priority is to reduce crude imports
Due to the ongoing war between America and Iran, crude oil prices have crossed $100 per barrel. India imports about 90% of its oil needs. Although the oil import bill has declined to $123 billion in fiscal year 2026 from $137 billion last year, the government wants to reduce it further. PM Narendra Modi has also emphasized on adopting alternative fuels in view of the energy crisis.
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