Indian YouTuber Sourav Joshi retracted claims that E20 fuel caused a significant mileage drop in his Mercedes-Benz SUV.
The reversal follows a clarification from Mercedes-Benz India regarding the compatibility of its vehicles with ethanol-blended fuels. Because Joshi maintains a large following, his initial allegations about fuel performance could have influenced public perception of E20 petrol adoption in India.
Joshi said his vehicle's fuel efficiency fell to five km/L [1] after using E20 petrol. This specific fuel blend contains 20% ethanol, a mixture the Indian government is promoting to reduce oil imports and lower carbon emissions.
Following the initial report, Mercedes-Benz India said that all of its BS-VI petrol vehicles are compatible with E20 fuel [2]. The company's technical specifications indicate that these engines are designed to handle the ethanol blend without compromising performance or efficiency.
Joshi later said that the drop in mileage was not caused by the fuel blend but was instead due to an engine-related issue [3]. He addressed the situation after visiting a Mercedes-Benz India service centre to resolve the mechanical problem.
The vlogger apologized for the earlier confusion regarding the fuel's impact on his SUV [4]. He said that the mechanical failure was the primary driver of the efficiency loss, rather than the chemical composition of the petrol used in the tank.
“the drop was due to an engine-related issue, not the fuel”
This incident highlights the potential for influencer-driven narratives to create misconceptions about public health and environmental initiatives, such as India's transition to ethanol blending. When a high-profile user misattributes a mechanical failure to a systemic fuel change, it can spark widespread distrust in new energy standards until corrected by manufacturer data.
