Nitin Gadkari Says Car Owners Can't Accurately Check Mileage at Home Amid E20 Fuel Row
The Union Minister said fuel efficiency should be assessed using authorised dealer equipment, as the debate over E20 petrol and its impact on vehicle mileage continues across the country.
Amid growing concerns over the impact of E20 ethanol-blended petrol on vehicle performance, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that ordinary car owners cannot accurately measure their vehicle's mileage on their own.
Responding to a journalist's claim that her car's city mileage had dropped from 11 km/litre to 7 km/litre after switching to E20 fuel, Gadkari questioned the basis of the calculation. When she said the estimate came from the car's dashboard display, the minister maintained that fuel efficiency can only be accurately checked using manufacturer-authorised dealer equipment.
His remarks come as the Centre continues to defend its nationwide E20 fuel rollout, introduced on April 1 to reduce dependence on imported crude oil, increase ethanol blending and lower emissions.
Earlier, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas acknowledged that E20 petrol may reduce fuel economy by 3–5% in some vehicles. However, it emphasised that mileage is only one aspect of vehicle performance and highlighted the long-term environmental and energy-security benefits of the policy.
Automotive experts note that while dashboard mileage figures are estimates, they are generally reliable for everyday use. The full-tank method—calculating distance travelled against fuel consumed during refuelling—is widely regarded as the most accurate real-world way for motorists to estimate fuel efficiency. Dealer diagnostic tools, meanwhile, are primarily designed to detect engine or electronic issues that may affect performance rather than directly measure real-world mileage.
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