At a joint press conference with the ARAI and FIPI, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) looked to ease some of the concerns of vehicle owners over the switch to E20 blended fuels. Speaking at the conference, SIAM spokesperson said that there would be no changes to the warranties and insurance of vehicles and that all warranty claims of existing vehicles would be honoured.
Also read: PIL In Supreme Court Challenges Govt’s E20 Petrol Policy
India switched entirely to E20 blended petrol as of 2025, which raised many concerns amongst vehicle owners. Part of this stemmed from the fact that many brands only announced E20 compliance for their cars in the past two years, raising concerns that older non-E20-compliant vehicles, some less than two years old, would face challenges from the use of non-specified fuels, as well as see warranty and insurance claims denied over the use of improper fuels.
Also read: Ethanol-Blended Fuel Dilemma: Is Your Vehicle Safe To Run On Biofuel?
SIAM’s words that insurance and warranties will continue to be honoured should come as some relief to vehicle owners, particularly non-E20-compliant vehicles. SIAM’s statement follows in line with that made by the Petroleum Ministry earlier in August, which stated that the use of E20 petrol would not void warranty and insurance of vehicles.
Also read: Ethanol Now More Expensive Than Petrol; Improves Performance: Govt
The switch to E20 blended petrol has been met with much scepticism among vehicle owners, with uncertainties over long-term usage issues in non-E20-compliant vehicles, a drop in mileage of vehicles and the lack of alternatives for older vehicles. The government’s move to only E20-blended petrol has also made its way to the Supreme Court of India, where a PIL has been filed over the decision to only offer E20 petrol at all fuel stations. The PIL calls for non-E20 blend petrol options to be made available at petrol stations as well as calling for cost benefits arising from the blending of petrol with ethanol to be passed down to consumers in the form of lower fuel prices.
