Autocar Professional - 1st September 2025

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Autocar Professional’s Aug 15, 2025 Edition is out!
Strap: Autocar Professional’s latest edition zeroes in on one of the year’s hottest debates — India’s hurried shift to E20 fuel.
Autocar Professional’s latest edition turns the spotlight on one of India’s biggest mobility debates of 2025 — the government’s accelerated rollout of E20 fuel. Intended as a quiet step in the ethanol blending programme, the move has instead created noise on the ground. The cover story analyses why a policy designed to cut India’s $130-billion crude import bill, reduce CO₂ emissions, and support farm incomes has triggered unease among motorists, OEMs, and industry stakeholders.
The edition explores how real-world experiences of 15–20% mileage drops, fears of corrosion, and warranty risks contrast with official test data and policy optimism. Automakers, still tied to E10 specifications, remain reluctant to absorb liability even as they work on retrofit solutions. Meanwhile, the economics of ethanol, often costlier than petrol, raise questions about consumer affordability unless India follows a Brazil-style pricing model. Farmers, too, face uncertainties if procurement prices fail to keep pace with inflation, threatening long-term feedstock security.
Beyond E20, this issue underscores the broader challenges of aligning government ambition, industry readiness, and consumer expectations in India’s clean mobility journey. Ethanol may hold real promise in bridging the energy transition, but only if policy, pricing, and technology move in step.
Complementing the cover story, this edition also brings international perspectives from Autocar UK, an in-depth look at India’s construction equipment sector, insights into the rare earth supply chain crisis, proposed GST reforms, Mahindra’s multi-fuel roadmap, and how two-wheeler manufacturers are refreshing their pipelines.