Amid the raging debate on impact of ethanol-blended E20 petrol on cars, internal communications exchanged among auto industry executives reveal concerns on fuel contamination.The rollout of E20 petrol has sparked dissatisfaction among motorists, with hundreds claiming the fuel has lowered vehicle mileage, increased wear and tear and even prompted at least one legal challenge.SIAM had previously warned that elevated chloride content can corrode automotive components, while excessive moisture in fuel can cause a vehicle to stop functioning immediately after refuelling.According to a Reuters report, just hours after the government said last week that ethanol-blended petrol was safe for use, the country’s leading automobile industry body withdrew a complaint it had submitted to the government a week earlier regarding fuel contamination, saying some of the figures required further verification.However, internal communications exchanged among industry executives and reviewed by Reuters show that, in the days leading up to the withdrawal, senior executives at Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors and Mahindra had discussed concerns over contamination in petrol blended with 20% ethanol.The report said that the data compiled by the companies represents the most extensive fuel-testing exercise undertaken by the automobile industry since the government began the nationwide rollout of E20 last year as part of its strategy to reduce pollution and curb crude oil imports.Since April 1, when E20 became the only petrol available, concerns among consumers have increased over its possible impact on vehicle performance.
Auto industry concerns
The emails reveal for the first time that, despite publicly supporting the government’s E20 programme, the automakers privately expressed concerns about contaminants such as chloride and moisture in the fuel, which they believed were affecting vehicle performance.
Indian auto industry’s private fuel test findings
Following criticism from the government and public debate over its warning, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) withdrew its July 28 letter on fuel contamination, stating that “some numbers” required “authentication”, the Reuters report claimed.Previously unreported emails and industry data reviewed by Reuters indicate that several automakers had already carried out an extensive testing programme, collecting more than 250 fuel samples from retail outlets over a one-year period across as many as 21 of India’s 36 states and Union territories.Their analysis detected elevated chloride contamination in samples from 18 states, along with high moisture levels.The correspondence exchanged among the executives did not raise any concerns about the authenticity of the data.Responding to Reuters’ queries about the internal correspondence, SIAM said the information was meant solely for internal discussion, validation and review, and had been compiled by “very few” automobile manufacturers.Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors and Mahindra, whose executives were part of the internal SIAM email exchanges reviewed by Reuters, together account for about 67% of India’s passenger vehicle market.SIAM said the communication was withdrawn because “the testing basis and sample size were insufficient to support definitive conclusions,” adding that the letter had been sent inadvertently. The industry body also said it plans to undertake a comprehensive scientific study on the issue.
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‘Rigorous testing’
Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Friday that state-run oil marketing companies had begun “rigorous testing” of fuel samples at retail outlets two weeks before SIAM submitted its letter to examine possible contamination.According to the minister, the exercise identified only four instances of contamination. State-owned fuel retailers also said last week that extensive random and scientific testing had found “no cause for any alarm on account of fuel contamination”.Mahindra rejected the interpretation of the internal emails, saying the conclusions drawn from them were “are completely baseless and incorrect”.The company maintained that the industry data was preliminary and limited in scope and said it had not observed any issues with E20 fuel. Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors did not respond to requests for comment.
What auto industry data shows
Internal emails exchanged among executives of Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Mahindra and SIAM, reviewed by Reuters, show that Maruti Suzuki senior executive Anoop Bhat expressed concern over the high chloride levels detected during testing. In a July 26 email, he said the issue had already been discussed privately with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.The industry’s state-wise data, circulated through the email chain, showed chloride levels ranging from 6 to 570 parts per million (ppm) in Rajasthan, 1.4 to 420 ppm in Delhi and 10 to 357 ppm in Maharashtra.The government has prescribed a maximum permissible chloride level of 3 ppm.The same data also indicated moisture levels as high as 13,000 ppm in Andhra Pradesh and 12,500 ppm in Uttar Pradesh, compared with the government’s permissible limit of 3,000 ppm.Although the source of the contamination remains unclear, SIAM said in its subsequently withdrawn letter that chloride levels had increased following the nationwide introduction of E20. It urged the government to direct oil marketing companies to identify the underlying cause.With regard to moisture contamination, SIAM said in the letter that inadequate maintenance of underground storage tanks and pipelines at fuel retail outlets could be a possible reason.In his July 26 email, Maruti’s Bhat wrote that existing fuel injectors, which deliver fuel to the engine, “can tolerate” a maximum chloride concentration of 1 ppm.“Lesser than 1 ppm in E20 is also in line with international standards. Same is in line with discussion held with” the petroleum ministry, Bhat wrote.Mahindra’s Senior Principal Engineer for Fluids Technology, R. Ramaprabhu, wrote in the email exchanges that organic chloride was the contaminant responsible for the rapid vehicle failures being observed by the industry and said it could damage engines “within 200 km”.“Majority cases reported immediately after fuelling … is due to organic chloride,” he wrote, adding that Mahindra has “strong evidences” based on fuel samples collected from retail outlets.
