Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, who is championing the government’s ethanol blending programme, said in an interview that motorists who do not like blended fuel have another path open for them. “People who don’t want ethanol-blended fuel can go to 100 percent gasoline, but they’ll have to pay more,” he said.
The statement comes amid concerns about the nationwide rollout of E20 gasoline — a blend of 20% ethanol with gasoline — with some motorists complaining of lower mileage and accelerated wear on older engines.
The government has confirmed that some vehicles may see a reduction in mileage by a few percent on E20 but maintains that the blend is a cleaner fuel, provides India with some energy security by reducing the amount of crude oil imports, and there is no evidence of engine damage.
For consumers looking for near-pure gasoline, the choice is not clear. Here’s what’s actually on offer:
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Arc 100 octane
The closest option to pure gasoline at Indian gas stations is the small family of 100 octane fuels.
Indian Oil Corporation’s XP100, launched in December 2020, is one such example. According to Indian Oil, the XP100 is manufactured at the company’s Mathura refinery using an indigenous refining process it calls OCTAMAX.
At the time of launch, the government noted how 100 octane fuel was part of a “niche market for luxury vehicles requiring high performance.”
It is estimated that XP100 contains little or no ethanol content.
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) sells another 100 octane brand, Power100. In a response to a customer query in August last year, HPCL said the ethanol content in its variants was up to 4.5% in Power100.
Separately, BPCL sells the Speed100.
The basis of the low ethanol content in 100 octane fuel is the target customer: High-performance vehicles such as luxury, sports or classic cars typically rely on full gasoline fuel because they need to maximize power output and provide the stability required by older or high-compression engines. Ethanol contains, per unit volume, less energy than pure gasoline.
Another aspect, car enthusiasts said, is that 100-octane gasoline moves slowly through the retail chain because it is a niche product. This means that fuel often remains for long periods in underground storage tanks at petrol stations. If mixed with ethanol, the risk of water contamination and fuel deterioration may increase because ethanol is hygroscopic and can absorb moisture from the air. Refiners avoid this potential problem by keeping blends at low levels or by selecting nearly pure gasoline.
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Who can actually buy it?
Refiners say 100 octane gasoline, although developed for high-performance engines that need more road-resistant fuel, can also be used in standard cars.
Indian Oil said on its website that using the XP100 for standard cars “will provide smooth engine operation with improved performance in terms of fuel economy, emissions and acceleration” although the full benefits are “enhanced when used in matching engine configuration”. Frankly, the fuel will run in a regular sedan or hatchback and may provide a smoother ride, but the mass market engine may not fully take advantage of the full advantage of 100 octane.
The primary problem standing in the way of widespread adoption of 100 octane gasoline is its price. At the moment, the cost of this fuel $167- $$170 per liter in Delhi, about 60% more than regular petrol.
Availability is the second barrier. These are mostly available in cities and that too in selected pumps. For consumers outside metros, 100 octane gasoline — or ethanol-free gasoline — remains largely unavailable.
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Other high octane fuels
Some of the premium gasolines available in the market – HPCL’s Power99, Bharat Petroleum’s Speed97, Shell’s V-Power – are sometimes assumed to contain less ethanol than regular E20.
This assumption combines two separate properties.
Octane rating measures the stability of a fuel under pressure. The higher the number, the more resistant the fuel is to self-ignition, which the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) defines as a situation “when high temperature and pressure resulting from initial combustion cause unburned fuel to ignite.” This uncontrolled secondary burning is what drivers hear when the engine knocks, which over time can damage the pistons.
On the other hand, ethanol content only refers to the amount of biologically derived alcohol that has been blended into gasoline.
The two can go together – ethanol itself has an octane number of about 108 RON (research octane number), so mixing it up to 20% raises the overall octane of regular fuel by about six RON. Since last April, all petrol available in India has been at least RON 95 – something largely seen as possible due to mandatory blending of 20% ethanol.
Conversely, premium gasoline can have a higher octane number while containing 20% or less ethanol.
HPCL’s tweet explained this: “Ethanol content is around 20% in regular petrol, 15% in Power95, 11% in Power99, and up to 4.5% in Power100. These blends help reduce emissions and enhance fuel efficiency.”
In August 2025, Indian Oil also said on
So what explains the tales of better acceleration and fuel efficiency that so many experience? It’s simply that gasoline, per unit, contains more energy than ethanol.
But the discussion is not limited only to acceleration or distance traveled. Many are also concerned that their cars, typically sold before 2023, are not equipped to handle E20. Higher ethanol also requires some component changes since this fuel may corrode some rubber components more easily.
