Get the latest news and updates from Dawn
Hours after India made public assurances last week that its ethanol-blended petrol was safe, the country’s main auto lobby withdrew a complaint about fuel contamination it had sent to the government a week earlier. The group said some figures needed more checks.
But separate communications between industry executives, reviewed by Reuters, showed that in the preceding days, top automakers Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors and Mahindra discussed their concerns about contamination of petrol blended with 20 per cent ethanol, called E20.
Their data compiled the most comprehensive fuel testing done by the industry since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government started rolling out E20 nationwide from last year to help curb pollution and cut oil imports.
With no other petrol available since April 1, consumer concerns have grown about the impact on vehicle performance.
