India's top vlogger Sourav Joshi slams ethanol-blended E20 petrol over drastic fuel efficiency drop

Popular Indian vlogger Sourav Joshi has voiced strong concerns over the performance of his luxury vehicle, attributing a significant drop in fuel efficiency to the widespread use of ethanol-blended E20 petrol. In a recent video log, Joshi, who boasts over 41 million subscribers, showed his Mercedes-Benz SUV's mileage plummeting from 17 kilometers per liter to as low as 5 kilometers per liter within just 48 hours.

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Yesterday I showed you our car's mileage had gone from 17 straight down to nine. And do you know what it has become today? Today it has reached five... look at this, it's showing a mileage of five.

Joshi, based in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, expressed frustration and fear that the fuel might be causing mechanical damage to his premium SUV. He noted that a full tank, which previously offered a range of about 800 kilometers, now estimates only 480 kilometers. "I don't know when this car will break down... Nowadays I'm so scared of refilling petrol," he stated, adding that repairs for a Mercedes could be extremely costly and logistically challenging in smaller towns.

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This is what has happened because of ethanol.

His complaints, which went viral on social media, underscore a growing unease among Indian car owners about the E20 fuel mandate. India is promoting E20 petrol to reduce carbon emissions and reliance on crude oil imports. While major automakers, including Mercedes-Benz India, have stated their vehicles sold since 2020 are engineered to handle ethanol blends, Joshi's experience suggests practical issues persist for some users.

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We spent so much money on this car!