What happened

A Reuters review of internal communications reported private discussions in India’s auto sector about contamination risks linked to E20 ethanol-blended petrol (petrol blended with 20% ethanol).

After the Government of India publicly assured during the previous week that E20 was safe, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) withdrew an earlier warning letter submitted on July 28. SIAM stated that withdrawal was linked to evidence-quality concerns, including the need for authentication of certain figures and the claim that the testing basis and sample size were insufficient for definitive conclusions.

According to the Reuters review, internal emails showed automakers raising issues about potential contaminants such as chloride and moisture, which the automakers believed could harm vehicles, even though the same automakers publicly supported the E20 rollout.

The Reuters review reported that automakers carried out extensive testing for more than a year using fuel samples collected from retail pumps across multiple Indian states and union territories. The review stated that internal data showed instances of higher-than-expected chloride and moisture in many samples.

The Reuters review reported that internal communications did not raise concerns about the authenticity of the testing data. SIAM’s later explanation in the Reuters account said the withdrawn communication relied on insufficient testing basis and sample size for definitive conclusions and that the letter was sent inadvertently.

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