Govt proposes higher ethanol fuels for vehicles: Now up to E85, E100!

The government has proposed the introduction of higher ethanol-blended fuels, including E85 and E100. The move comes through a draft notification issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on April 27, 2026, suggesting amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.

Under the proposal, E85 fuel, which contains 85 per cent ethanol mixed with petrol; and E100, essentially near-pure ethanol, could soon be formally included in the country’s fuel framework. The draft has been opened for public comments, after which a final decision will be taken.

This development builds on India’s recent milestone of achieving 20 per cent ethanol blending (E20) in petrol in 2025. With E20 now widely available, the government is looking to push ethanol usage further to reduce reliance on crude oil imports, a key concern amid ongoing geopolitical tensions, especially in West Asia.


Alongside introducing higher ethanol blends, the draft also proposes changes in fuel classification. Petrol labelling could be updated from E10/E to E10/E20, while new categories like E85 and E100 would be officially recognised. Similar updates have been suggested for diesel, where biodiesel blending references could go up from B10 to B100, indicating the possibility of fully bio-based diesel in the future.

The notification also includes a few technical updates beyond fuels. For instance, the terminology for hydrogen fuel has been revised from “Hydrogen+CN” to “Hydrogen+CNG,”. Additionally, in certain emission regulation categories, the gross vehicle weight limit is proposed to be increased from 3,000 kg to 3,500 kg.

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