The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has issued a directive that makes it mandatory for all the state-run oil refining companies to blend ethanol with petrol to the tune of 5 per cent as this step will help the country save around 10 billion litres of fuel every year. In 2009, the CCEA had decided to mix five percent ethanol but could not be implemented due to opposition from petroleum and chemical sectors.
Ethanol is also cheaper than petrol, so the losses that the oil companies suffer should be lower thanks to the new directive. The companies have been blending ethanol with petrol for a while now but there has been no clear rule to this effect.
Most petrol cars sold in India are already E10 ready as are most vehicles around the world, but we’re not so sure about motorcycles manufactured in India. This is important because ethanol is corrosive to rubber parts, so the life of parts like rubber hoses and gaskets will be shortened if the engine isn't adapted to take the right mix of ethanol. Markets like Brazil that are similar to us have shown that a blend of up to 85 per cent ethanol is possible without any major modifications other than to the rubber parts of the engine and fuel delivery systems.
On the bright side, ethanol has a higher octane rating then regular fuel, so you can expect an infinitesimal increase in power and/or efficiency from your motorcycle!
