New Delhi, Aug. 5 -- The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has dismissed recent claims circulating on social media that E20 petrol, petrol blended with 20 per cent ethanol, causes a drastic drop in fuel efficiency.

In a detailed statement, the ministry said such allegations are factually incorrect and not backed by scientific analysis or expert opinion.

The ministry clarified that while ethanol has lower energy density than petrol, the impact on fuel efficiency is only marginal.

In a social media post the ministry stated that "the allegation that E20 leads to drastic drop in fuel efficiency is factually incorrect".

The ministry stated that for vehicles designed for E10 and calibrated for E20, mileage may drop by just 1-2 per cent,...