New Delhi, July 26 -- More than a year after India completed the nationwide rollout of E20 petrol, a majority of owners of older petrol vehicles continue to report a sharp decline in fuel efficiency, suggesting concerns around the higher ethanol blend remain far from resolved. A new LocalCircles survey found that 67% of owners of pre-2023 petrol vehicles said their mileage had fallen by more than 10% since early 2025, while nearly half also reported rising maintenance costs and vehicle wear.

The findings come as India pushes ahead with higher ethanol blends beyond E20 as part of its energy transition strategy. They also follow the first known consumer court ruling related to E20 fuel, in which the Raipur District Consumer Disputes Redres...