Twenty-nine automobile manufacturers were asked a simple question — and not one of them would answer it in writing. AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal revealed on Wednesday, 29 July 2026 that he had written to all 29 auto companies asking whether E20 petrol — the government's 20% ethanol-blended fuel — is safe for vehicles manufactured before 2023, and every single company refused to respond on record.

In his post, Kejriwal wrote: 'Kuch din pehle maine 29 auto companies ko chitthi likhkar poocha tha ki kya 2023 se pehle ki gadiyon mein E20 istemal ho sakta hai?' ('A few days ago I wrote to 29 auto companies asking whether E20 can be used in vehicles made before 2023?'). He said all of them declined to answer in writing, adding, 'You can imagine how much fear there is.' However, he claimed that officials from 9 companies privately told him 'the whole truth' in face-to-face meetings — details he says are captured in a video he is urging the public to watch.

What E20 means for millions of older vehicles

The stakes here are enormous. India's Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme — accelerated in 2021 when the central government moved the 20% blending target forward from 2030 to 2025 — began rolling out E20 fuel at select pumps from 2023. New vehicles from that year onward were designed and calibrated for the higher ethanol content. But the country's roads are dominated by vehicles built before those design changes — cars, two-wheelers, and three-wheelers whose fuel systems, rubber seals, and engine calibrations were never tested against E20.

Technical concerns around E20 compatibility in older vehicles centre on material corrosion, seal degradation, and fuel-efficiency loss. Critically, warranty coverage for pre-2023 vehicles using E20 has never been formally addressed by manufacturers as a class — which is precisely the silence Kejriwal is now spotlighting.

The silence that speaks loudest

A written refusal from 29 companies — if borne out — is not a minor bureaucratic dodge. It means that tens of millions of vehicle owners filling up at pumps that may already carry E20 blends have no manufacturer-backed assurance that their engines are safe. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, which sets blending targets and fuel quality standards, has not issued a comprehensive public compatibility matrix for pre-2023 models.

Kejriwal's move — writing formal letters, logging refusals, then publishing what he says insiders told him off the record — is a classic accountability manoeuvre: create a paper trail, expose the gap between public silence and private admission, and let consumers draw their own conclusions. Whether the video he references contains verifiable technical claims will determine how much pressure this episode generates on regulators and the industry body.

What pre-2023 car owners need answered

For ordinary vehicle owners, the practical question is urgent: is the petrol at the pump damaging their engine, voiding their warranty, or reducing their mileage — and who is liable? A formal compatibility certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards or a clear industry-wide position from automobile manufacturers has not materialised. Until it does, the burden of uncertainty falls entirely on consumers who had no say in the fuel transition.

If nine companies' officials privately confirmed risks they won't put in writing, that gap between boardroom candour and public silence is the real story — and it is one that regulators can no longer afford to leave unanswered.