E20 anxiety triples premium petrol share as drivers trade up to 95-octane
Drivers worried that E20 ethanol petrol hurts mileage and engine life are trading up to branded 95-octane fuel, pushing its share of sales to 12-15% from about 4% in March. The twist: the premium stuff is also 20% ethanol, yet buyers happily pay ₹110-115 a litre for it. Dealers expect demand to keep climbing unless India restores a lower E10 blend at the pumps.