Recently, ethanol has attracted a lot of interest for a number of reasons. Fuel regulations for higher ethanol-petrol mixes, such as E22, E25, E27, and E30, were formally announced by the government in May.
Then another significant event occurred. The commercial introduction of high-ethanol fuel in India began on June 5 when Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri opened Delhi’s first E85 fuel dispensing station at Indian Oil’s Pusa Road location.
Only a small number of cars in India are now capable of running on E85. The Maruti Suzuki WagonR flex fuel is the only vehicle available. The Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 flex fuel, Hero Splendor+ flex fuel, and Hero HF Deluxe flex fuel are the three models available on the two-wheeler market.
Why the E85 uses more fuel
In Delhi, the normal E20 blend costs Rs 102.12 per litre, while E85 costs Rs 82.12. On paper, E85 costs Rs 20 less per litre than E20. However, because ethanol has a lower energy density than gasoline, it also leads to increased fuel consumption.
Compared to ethanol, gasoline has a lot more energy per liter. The energy content of pure gasoline is approximately 32–34 megajoules (MJ) per litre, whereas the energy content of ethanol is approximately 21–24 MJ per litre. This implies that a car using E100 ethanol needs more gasoline to generate the same amount of energy.
Mileage test between E20 and E85
We recently carried out a comparison test utilizing the Suzuki Gixxer SF flex fuel to determine whether E85 truly contributes to cost savings. The goal was to ascertain whether E85’s pricing advantage of Rs 20 per litre could compensate for the decrease in fuel efficiency and ultimately show to be more cost-effective than E20.
We tested the E20 and E85’s mileage from tank to tank. First, we rode the Gixxer for 124.2 kilometers after filling its tank to the capacity with E20. To find out how much fuel was used throughout the run, the tank was then refilled.
After that, we drained the motorcycle’s tank until it had only enough petrol to cover around two kilometers before arriving at the gas station. After that, we filled it with E85, drove 127 kilometers, and then completely refilled the tank to determine how much fuel was used.
The majority of the testing was done on the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway because our goal was to get the best efficiency numbers. The conditions for the E20 and E85 runs were essentially the same. The main distinction was that we had to travel to Karol Bagh in Delhi to refuel with E85 and then empty the tank for measurement, which meant that the E85 test required about 30km of extra city riding.
Mileage outcomes
With E20, the motorcycle used 2.44 liters of fuel to cover 124.2 kilometers, yielding a fuel efficiency of 50.9 km/l.
With E85, the motorcycle used 4.37 liters of fuel to go 127 kilometers, yielding a fuel efficiency of 29.06 km/l.
The findings show that moving from an E20 to an E85 significantly reduces fuel efficiency. The Suzuki Gixxer SF flex fuel reduced fuel consumption by 21.84 km/l, or around 42.9%, from 29.06 km/l on E85 to 50.9 km/l on E20.
Running cost comparison
| Parameter | E20 | E85 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance covered | 124.2km | 127.2km | -3 |
| Fuel consumed | 2.44 litres | 4.37 litres | E85 used 1.93 litres more |
| Fuel efficiency | 50.9kmpl | 29.06kmpl | -21.84 km/l (-42.9%) |
| Fuel price | Rs 102/litre | Rs 82/litre | E85 is 20/litre cheaper |
| Running cost per km | Rs 2.00/km | Rs 2.82/km | E85 costs 0.82/km more |
| Cost per 100 km | Rs 200 | Rs 282 | E85 costs Rs 82 more per 100 km |
| Fuel cost for 1,000 km | Rs 2,004 | Rs 2,822 | E85 costs Rs 818 more |
With E85, the motorcycle used 4.37 liters of fuel to go 127 kilometers, yielding a fuel efficiency of 29.06 km/l.
The findings show that moving from an E20 to an E85 significantly reduces fuel efficiency. The Suzuki Gixxer SF flex fuel reduced fuel consumption by 21.84 km/l, or around 42.9%, from 29.06 km/l on E85 to 50.9 km/l on E20.
The results emphasize the basic trade-off between standard gasoline mixes and fuels high in ethanol. The efficiency of the Suzuki Gixxer SF Flex Fuel decreased by almost 43% while using the higher ethanol blend, despite the fact that E85 is around 19.6% less expensive per litre than E20.
This resulted in a higher running cost of Rs 2.82 per kilometer as opposed to Rs 2 per kilometre on the E20 since the reduced pump price was insufficient to balance the greater fuel usage.
Is E85 worth it?
These findings indicate that E20 is still the more cost-effective choice for people whose major goal is to reduce fuel costs. Rather than direct cost reductions, the primary benefits of E85 are its renewable fuel content and possible pollution benefits.
Another issue is that flex-fuel cars are more expensive to buy. The ordinary E20-compatible Gixxer SF is around Rs 8,000 less expensive than the Suzuki Gixxer SF flex fuel. The price increases to almost Rs 86,000 for the Maruti Suzuki WagonR Flex Fuel.
According to this test, in order to make up for its approximately 43% decrease in fuel efficiency and provide riders with a significant cost advantage, the E85 would need to be priced far lower than the E20.
