Mercedes-Benz India issues E20 advisory after Sourav Joshi’s mileage drop claims

Mercedes-Benz India has issued an advisory saying all its petrol BS VI vehicles are fully compatible with E20 petrol. The clarification came shortly after popular vlogger Sourav Joshi claimed that the mileage of his Mercedes SUV had dropped sharply due to ethanol-blended petrol.Sourav Joshi claimed the mileage drop in his Mercedes SUV was due to E20 fuel. (Video grab: YT/@souravjvlogs)In a statement shared on social media, the official handle of Mercedes-Benz India said that “All Mercedes-Benz petrol BS VI vehicles are materially compatible with E20 fuel and certified accordingly relevant authorities.”What Sourav Joshi claimedSourav Joshi, Indian’s most-followed daily vlogger, shared a video on YouTube recently where he claimed that the mileage of his Mercedes-Benz luxury vehicle had dropped from 17 to 5 in a span of just two days.“said his vehicle’s efficiency has plummeted to an unprecedented low within a span of just 48 hours .“Yesterday I showed you our car’s mileage had gone from 17 straight down to 9,” Joshi told his audience. “And do you know what it has become today? Today it has reached five… look at this, it’s showing a mileage of five,” he added.(Also read: India’s most popular vlogger slams E20 petrol: Sourav Joshi’s Mercedes average ‘down to 5 kmpl’ | Watch)Joshi blamed the fuel available at local filling stations. “This is what has happened because of ethanol,” he asserted.The vlogger said a full tank of petrol, which earlier yielded a driving range of approximately 800 kilometres, now displays an estimated range of only 480 kilometres upon refuelling. He said the sharp drop has made him concerned about the potential mechanical damage to the petrol engine in the German SUV.“I don’t know when this car will break down… Nowadays I’m so scared of refilling petrol,” he said.Joshi also spoke of how he has a G-Wagon, another Mercedes SUV, in electric variant that keeps him away from the ethanol worries.Mercedes-Benz issues advisory on E20 fuelMercedes-Benz India issued a customer advisory shortly after Joshi’s video exploded online. Although the statement did not name Joshi, it addressed his concerns about E20 petrol.“At Mercedes-Benz, customer safety, vehicle reliability and performance are of paramount importance to us. All Mercedes-Benz petrol BS VI vehicles are materially compatible with E20 fuel and certified accordingly relevant authorities,” said the German automaker.“We are happy to support customers for any technical queries. Mercedes-Benz remains committed to sustainable mobility.”What is E20 fuel? Why is it controversial?E20 fuel is a blended motor fuel consing of 20% ethanol and 80% petrol. The push for E20 fuel in India has become a controversial issue over claims that it can damage the engines of non-compatible older vehicles while reducing mileage.However, the government on Friday defended the ethanol-blended petrol programme amid concerns over engine damage and mileage loss in vehicles using ethanol-blended fuel, saying the scheme has helped the sugar economy, boosted farmers’ incomes and saved the country over ₹1.90 lakh crore in foreign exchange since 2014-15.(Also read: Govt says E25 only being tested for now: All your questions on ethanol-blended fuel answered)