Now Reading: Skoda says customers not worried about E20 fuel
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Skoda says customers not worried about E20 fuel
Skoda Auto India's Brand Director Ashish Gupta has said customers are not apprehensive about using E20 fuel, a blend of 20% ethanol and 80% petrol. The company has already ensured its vehicles…
Skoda Auto India's Brand Director Ashish Gupta has said customers are not apprehensive about using E20 fuel, a blend of 20% ethanol and 80% petrol. The company has already ensured its vehicles are compatible with the fuel, which is being rolled out across India as part of the government's ethanol blending programme.
Speaking to the media, Gupta said Skoda is focused on building customer confidence rather than addressing any fears. He added that the automaker's current lineup in India is E20-compliant and that the transition has been smooth. The company sees no impact on sales due to the new fuel standard.
India's E20 rollout aims to reduce emissions and cut oil import dependence. Automakers have been required to produce E20-compatible engines as the government phases in the fuel. Skoda's statement comes as some other manufacturers have raised concerns about customer awareness and engine performance with higher ethanol blends.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Skoda's confident stance stands apart from the caution expressed by some rival automakers, who have flagged potential warranty disputes and consumer confusion as E20 reaches more pumps. Under the government's roadmap announced in 2021, E20 fuel was to be available nationwide by April 2025, and new vehicles must be compatible. The real friction point has been the existing car parc: millions of older petrol cars on Indian roads were not designed for 20% ethanol, and no mandate requires their owners to switch. Skoda, which sells fewer than 5,000 cars a month in India, can make its entire lineup compliant quickly. For mass-market players with deeper legacy fleets, the compliance challenge and the messaging risk are both larger. The next test will come as more states report customer complaints at the pump.
The real friction point has been the existing car parc: millions of older petrol cars on Indian roads were not designed for 20% ethanol, and no mandate requires their owners to switch.
Source: auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
