The government plans to roll out E85 fuel in phases, with 500 fuel stations targeted by the end of this year and 5,000 by the end of 2027 across India, Puri said.
Indian Oil already has a network of 400 fuel stations that can dispense E100 fuel, or pure ethanol with no mix of petrol, across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
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Ethanol’s energy content is about one-third lower than that of petrol. To compensate for this, E85 users will receive a Rs 20 per litre discount compared with E20, the regular fuel blend sold across the country that contains 20% ethanol and 80% petrol.
The E20 blend will continue to be available at all fuel stations, as most vehicles currently on Indian roads can use blends of up to 20% ethanol.
In recent days, Maruti Suzuki and Hero MotoCorp have each launched one vehicle model capable of running on E85 fuel.
The simultaneous rollout of compatible vehicles and fuel dispensing infrastructure will help accelerate E85 adoption, Puri said, adding that there was a “pretty compelling case” for shifting to E85 because it would be cheaper, lower emissions and reduce dependence on fuel imports.