At a busy Bharat Petroleum gas station on Alipore Road, a query about E5 petrol was met with a reluctant head shake by an attendant.
“Abhi nahi milega kahin (You won’t get it anywhere now),” he said as he looked at a colleague, a more experienced staff member, seeking affirmation.
Gesturing to a biker to take another lane, the senior attendant joined the conversation.
“Speed niye nin. Ota E12 (Take Speed. It is E12),” he said while feeding data into a POS machine. “E5 paben na kothao, etai best (You won’t find E5 petrol anywhere. This is the best option).”
The premium Speed variant of petrol at this station, located at a stone’s throw from Command Hospital, had 12 per cent ethanol on the day. This, according to the staff members, was still a better deal than E20 for someone with an older or a high-end car.
But not all gas stations offer petrol with less than 20 per cent ethanol — you'll have to shell out additional Rs 6 to Rs 50 per litre on it — in Kolkata. At most petrol pumps, E20 is the standard.
A fuel station in south Kolkata Amit Datta
About 4km away from Alipore, an Indian Oil gas station on Diamond Harbour Road only offered E20 petrol, even if you opt for the Xtra Premium variant.
“Regardless of the variant you take, petrol will come with 20 per cent ethanol,” said an attendant at the petrol pump located at a walking distance from the Behala Bazar metro station.
This was the scene at fuel stations in Kolkata a day after the Supreme Court rejected a PIL challenging the nationwide rollout of 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol (EBP-20). The PIL alleged millions of motorists were forced to use fuel not designed for their vehicles.
Cars and two-wheelers manufactured before 2023, and even some newer BS-VI models, are not compatible with such high ethanol blends, the PIL said.
Even cars bought in 2023 can run on petrol with up to 20 per cent ethanol. A lower ethanol concentration, however, may enhance performance, say mechanics.
Fuel tank cover of a Maruti Suzuki car manufactured in 2023
In Kolkata, the hunt for E5 petrol may lead you to a dead end. But many car owners continue to stay on the lookout.
“They come looking for E5 or E10 petrol. But we cannot give them what we don’t have,” said an attendant at a fuel station near Judges Court Road.
In the roughly 6km stretch from Hospital Road to Behala Chowrasta, two Bharat Petroleum stations sold the premium Speed variant of petrol with less than 20 per cent ethanol. All the other gas stations — there are seven on this stretch — only had E20 petrol.
And then there were a few fuel stations where some attendants were unaware of the Union government’s petrol-ethanol blending mandate.
“E5? This is good quality petrol. You can use it without any fear,” said an employee at an HP petrol pump near Majherhat.
At the same gas station, the 95 Octane variant of petrol had an ethanol concentration of less than 15 per cent, said a staff member. “The superior 100 Octane variant has somewhere between 10 to 13 per cent ethanol. But it will cost you Rs 160 per litre,” he added.
The Narendra Modi-led Centre gradually introduced E20 petrol in different parts of India from 2023, replacing earlier blends such as E5 and E10, which were regarded as more compatible with older vehicles.
On paper, E5 and E10 petrol have now been phased out from almost all of the country’s 90,000-odd fuel stations as part of a strategy to lower carbon emissions and reduce dependence on crude oil imports.
While the Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas claims E20 petrol offers better acceleration and ride quality, some vehicle owners in Kolkata have complained of a drop in fuel efficiency.
“I was getting a fuel efficiency of 15-18kmpl when I bought my car two years ago. Now it has dropped to 13 in city traffic,” said Saptarshi Das, a Taratala-based businessman who owns a 1.2 litre hatchback.