Ethanol Gasoline Sparks Concerns as India Follows China's Lead

Recently, China's Xiaomi sparked a heated debate among netizens when it stated that its vehicles are compatible with multiple grades of fuel, including ethanol gasoline. Some people questioned whether engines can actually run on ethanol, while others wondered why pure gasoline is not used instead.

In some regions of China, such as the northeastern provinces and Henan, Hebei, Anhui, gas stations sell blended fuel with an ethanol concentration of about 10%, referred to as E10. In contrast, other regions offer pure gasoline. Despite their similar prices, E10 has a lower energy density than pure gasoline, making it less fuel-efficient and consuming up to 7% more fuel.

The Indian government recently raised the ethanol proportion in national gasoline from 10% (E10) to 20% (E20) to reduce crude oil imports. However, this move has sparked concerns among citizens, who worry that E20 may cause damage to older vehicles produced before 2023, which are not adapted for E20.

According to a study by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the chemical property difference between E10 gasoline and pure gasoline is extremely small. However, it's essential to note that E15 requires Tier 1 (China National III emission standard) vehicles produced after 1994, while E20 needs to be matched with Tier 2 (China National IV emission standard) vehicles produced after 2004.

Brazil has taken a more aggressive approach by increasing the ethanol proportion in gasoline from 30% to 32%, and plans to increase it further. The country's flex-fuel vehicles, which can run on any concentration of ethanol, have been designed to adapt to the changing fuel mix.