E85 fuel is now available in Mumbai! Price difference compared to Delhi, important details

Mumbai joins Delhi in the list of cities offering E85 fuel. The high-ethanol blend fuel is now available in the city at a price of Rs 91.18 per litre, making it almost Rs 9 more expensive than Delhi, where E85 is now sold at a lower price. E85 is a fuel blend consisting of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. It is aimed at flex-fuel vehicles specifically engineered to run on high ethanol blends. The fuel is also cheaper than the E20 fuel currently sold nationwide. In Mumbai, E20 petrol is priced at Rs 111.33 per litre, which means motorists using compatible vehicles can save more than Rs 20 per liter by opting for E85. The launch of E85 is part of the government’s broader strategy to reduce crude oil imports, support domestic ethanol production and lower tailpipe emissions. Ethanol is primarily produced from agricultural feedstocks such as sugarcane and corn, making it a renewable alternative to conventional fossil fuels.However, the biggest challenge remains vehicle compatibility. Currently, only a few models sold in India can run on E85. Maruti Suzuki recently launched the WagonR Bioflex, making it the country’s first flex-fuel passenger vehicle. Priced at Rs 7.24 lakh, ex-showroom, the hatchback is powered by a 1.2-litre four-cylinder K12N petrol engine that can run on ethanol blends from E20 to E100. In the two-wheeler segment, Hero MotoCorp has introduced the Splendor+ Flex Fuel and HF Deluxe Flex Fuel. Both motorcycles can run on E85 fuel. Suzuki also sells a flex fuel-compatible version of the Gixxer SF 250 in India.