Fuel stations across India are no longer selling just one kind of petrol. As the government pushes ethanol blending to cut pollution and reduce dependence on imported crude oil, five distinct petrol variants are now available in the country, ranging from ordinary octane fuel to high performance and flex fuel options. Each grade is built for a different kind of engine, and the price gap between the cheapest and the costliest option runs into nearly ₹90 a litre.
Everyday Fuel For Most Vehicles
The petrol used by the vast majority of bikes, scooters and cars in India is the regular grade, sold under the E20 standard with a 91 octane rating. Every petrol pump in the country now supplies this fuel blended with 20 percent ethanol. It remains the cheapest and most practical option for daily city driving and is positioned as the eco friendly default. In Delhi, this regular petrol currently costs ₹102.12 per litre.
A Premium Option With Cleaner Engines
One step up is premium petrol, also based on the E20 standard with the same 20 percent ethanol blend, but carrying a higher 95 octane rating. Indian Oil sells this as XP95 while Hindustan Petroleum markets it as Power Petrol. This grade contains special detergent additives that keep engine valves clean, and it is aimed at modern turbo petrol cars and premium scooters looking for better mileage and smoother performance. In Delhi, premium petrol is currently priced at ₹109.24 per litre.
Ethanol Free Fuel Built For Superbikes And Supercars
At the top end of the regular fuel ladder sits super premium petrol, best represented by Indian Oil's XP100. This is the only petrol variant in India that contains zero percent ethanol and carries the highest octane rating of 100. It is considerably more expensive than the other grades and has been formulated specifically for supercars, racing bikes and vintage cars so their engines can draw maximum power. In Delhi, this fuel currently costs ₹170 per litre.
E85: The Flex Fuel Bridge To The Future
E85 petrol is being treated as a fuel of the future and is designed exclusively for flex fuel vehicles, or FFVs. It contains up to 85 percent ethanol and only 15 percent petrol. Toyota, Maruti and Hero MotoCorp have already launched select models capable of running on E85. The fuel is considerably safer for the environment and notably cheaper than regular petrol, but it can only be used in vehicles fitted with flex fuel engines. In Delhi, E85 is currently priced at ₹82.12 per litre, the cheapest of all five options.
E100: 100 Percent Ethanol Gets The Green Light
With support from the Union Ministry of Road Transport, India has also given the green light to E100, a fuel made of 100 percent pure ethanol. This biofuel is produced entirely from sugarcane, corn and agricultural waste, and does not contain a single drop of petrol. It is currently being used only in select pilot projects and in specially designed flex fuel bikes and cars. Its price has not been made public yet.
