SIAM clarifies reports on E20 fuel quality, says cited figures need authentication

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has clarified that recent reports on E20 fuel quality cited selective excerpts from an internal communication, saying the reported contamination figures require authentication.SIAM has clarified that recent reports on E20 fuel quality.The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has issued a clarification after media reports cited excerpts from one of its communications on fuel quality, saying the information was presented selectively and without the broader context of ongoing technical discussions between the automobile industry and other stakeholders.The clarification comes after reports on Tuesday claimed that SIAM had raised concerns over rising failures of fuel system and exhaust components due to chloride contamination and excessive moisture in ethanol-blended petrol. The reports, including the original report, were later taken down.In its statement, SIAM said the communication being referred to was part of routine technical deliberations involving automobile manufacturers, oil marketing companies (OMCs), testing agencies and industry bodies.The industry body also stressed that fuel quality testing in India follows a rigorous regulatory framework, with OMCs testing fuel against more than 150 quality parameters. Figures require verificationAddressing the contamination figures that were widely reported, SIAM said the numbers mentioned in its communication were not validated findings and require extensive verification."Some numbers quoted in the communication need authentication through collection of elaborate data from various regions across the country followed by a comprehensive consultation with our member OEMs," the statement said. SIAM added that the figures reported in the media require authentication and requested media organisations and other stakeholders to consider the complete context in any future reporting on the subject.Existing safeguards in placeSIAM highlighted that the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) has already prescribed a 3 ppm guideline for chloride and sulphur in ethanol used for petrol blending as a precautionary measure.It also said OMCs have strengthened quality monitoring across the fuel distribution network, including conducting water ingress tests 8–12 times a day at more than 87,000 fuel outlets, along with additional checks after rainfall near petrol pumps.According to SIAM, these measures fully meet the requirements of the automobile industry.No cause for concern, says SIAMReaffirming its support for the government's E20 ethanol blending programme, SIAM said the automobile industry continues to back the initiative, describing it as important for India's energy security."There is no cause for concern arising from the matter reported as these issues have been routinely addressed over the past several decades between the auto industry and OMCs," the statement said.What the earlier reports claimedThe clarification follows reports that claimed SIAM had warned the government about the impact of chloride contamination and excessive moisture in E20 petrol on vehicle components.According to those reports, the industry body had said high chloride contamination was leading to a "huge increase" in the replacement of fuel injectors, fuel pumps, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valves and other engine and exhaust components. The reports also claimed field investigations had identified corrosion and abnormal wear caused by chloride contamination as the primary cause of these failures.They further cited fuel samples allegedly showing chloride contamination levels of up to 500 mg/kg in vehicle fuel tanks and up to 350 mg/kg in samples collected from retail fuel outlets, and suggested that such cases had increased after the nationwide rollout of E20 petrol.SIAM has now clarified that these figures require detailed authentication through wider data collection and consultation with its member companies, emphasising that the communication was part of routine technical discussions rather than a concluded assessment of fuel quality.Subscribe to Auto Today Magazine - EndsPublished On: Aug 5, 2026 11:56 IST