Modi Govt’s Lies Will Not Change Truth; E20-blended Petrol Is Damaging Vehicles: Arvind Kejriwal

Vehicles damaged by E20 petrol lining up at service centres, mileage has dropped sharply & people are distressed: Arvind Kejriwal

Earlier, people visited service centres only for routine servicing; Now, vehicles are repeatedly breaking down: Arvind Kejriwal

Govt can at least give people choice between E20 & pure petrol, but it is unwilling to do even that: Arvind Kejriwal

I appeal to govt to stop imposing E20 on people; Burden on middle class has become unbearable: Arvind Kejriwal

NEW DELHI: July, 2026 : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal released a video of his visit to vehicle service centre in Delhi, where he interacted with mechanics and vehicle owners over the impact of E20-blended petrol. Citing their experiences, he revealed that service centres were witnessing a growing number of vehicles damaged by E20 petrol, with people also reporting a sharp decline in fuel efficiency.

Calling out the Modi government, the AAP Supremo pointed out that its claims on E20 petrol were contrary to the ground reality described by consumers and mechanics. He urged the Centre to stop “imposing” E20 petrol on people, saying the burden on the middle class had become unbearable.

Sharing the experiences of vehicle owners during his visit to service centres in Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal spoke to two mechanics, Ashraf and Jasvir Singh, and asked them, “What is the truth behind the uproar over vehicles developing problems because of E20 petrol?” The two mechanics replied that vehicles were breaking down frequently and that many were being brought to the workshop either by being pushed or towed by cranes.

A vehicle owner present at the service centre showed Arvind Kejriwal his 2023 model Honda City, which had been E20 compatible but had failed to start for a week. The mechanic explained that despite being a new, E20 compatible vehicle, it had developed misfiring issues, its fuel pump had failed, and its injectors had become clogged. Most strikingly, the car’s mileage, which had earlier been 22 km per litre, had dropped to just 13 km per litre.

The AAP Chief revealed that several such vehicles were parked at the service centre. Showing the injectors, the mechanics said that E20 petrol was causing carbon deposits, forcing them to replace the injectors as many as four times a month, while the problem remained unresolved. They added that a set of four injectors costs between ₹7,000 and ₹8,000. Vehicles that earlier delivered a mileage of 15 km per litre were now giving only 10 km per litre, resulting in a direct loss of 30% to 33% for owners.

The mechanics also said that while vehicles earlier came in only for routine servicing, ever since E20 petrol was introduced, they had been receiving constant complaints of damaged engines and injectors, leaving mechanics themselves frustrated.

During the visit, Arvind Kejriwal also met the owner of a 2017 model Maruti car that had been brought to the service centre on a crane because it stalled every 500 metres and had developed faulty spark plugs and injectors. He was also told that scooters and motorcycles were facing similar problems, with their mileage dropping to less than half of what it used to be.

After witnessing these ground level experiences, Arvind Kejriwal said, “The government should at least give people a choice. Those who want E20 petrol should be able to buy E20, and those who want pure petrol should have the option of buying pure petrol.”

After visiting the service centre, the former Delhi CM went to a petrol pump in Delhi and interacted with customers refuelling their vehicles. One customer said that his seven year old car had broken down three times in two months because of E20 petrol, forcing him to replace the fuel pump. He added that the mileage of his car with the air conditioner on had fallen from 15 km per litre to just 5 to 8 km per litre.

Another vehicle owner said that a full tank of petrol, which earlier lasted 12 to 13 days, now barely lasted seven days. Customers said E20 petrol was not suitable for older vehicles and was causing engine knocking. They also expressed anger that although ethanol was being blended with petrol, its price had not been reduced. Instead, they were paying more while their vehicles’ lifespan was declining.

After hearing these concerns, Arvind Kejriwal said, “I have studied how other countries implemented this policy. Countries such as Brazil took 50 years to introduce it, whereas our government has imposed it on people in just three years.”

Other customers at the petrol pump also said that the mileage of their vehicles had dropped from 40 to 32 km per litre and from 45 to 35 km per litre, resulting in a direct loss of around 25%. They said there was widespread public anger over E20 petrol and emphasised that the government was forcing its implementation without offering any alternative.