Ethanol fuel attracted bees? Here's the reality

Hyderabad: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways of India, Nitin Gadkari, recently announced that he has signed the final document approving regulations to legally permit the use of 100 percent ethanol as a vehicle fuel.

During an event in Nagpur, Maharashtra, Gadkari mentioned that ethanol could become a practical alternative to petrol.

The proposed amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, are designed to promote the broader adoption of alternative fuels such as E85 (85 percent ethanol blended with petrol), E100, biodiesel, and hydrogen-CNG mixtures. In this context, two videos are widely circulating on social media, claiming they are related to ethanol-blended fuels.

One video shows bees gathering around a motorcycle’s fuel tank and a fuel nozzle at a petrol pump, with users claiming this happened while E85 petrol was being dispensed.

A user on X, formerly known as Twitter, shared the clip with the caption, “Side effects of E-85 petrol.”

Another video shows fuel with an unusual milky appearance, with visible separation inside a container. Users claim this footage shows one of the ethanol-based fuels and allege that ethanol blending is responsible for this appearance.

An X user from India shared the video with the caption, “I cannot reiterate how big a scam this ethanol-based fuel is.”

Fact Check

Several fact-check sites found that both claims are false. The first video is AI-generated, while the second is old footage irrelevant to E20 or E85 petrol.

First video is AI-Generated

A closer inspection of the first video revealed several inconsistencies typically associated with AI-generated content.

Fact-checking sites uncovered that another version of the same clip displayed a visible Gemini AI watermark in the lower part of the frame. Additionally, it was noted that there were spelling errors in the fuel station’s branding. The name “Indian Oil” appeared distorted, and the Hindi text contained nonsensical characters.

Additionally, several bees seen near the fuel nozzle and tank vanish suddenly between frames without any natural motion, suggesting they are artificially created.

It was found that the video was flagged by AI detection tools such as Hive Moderation as very likely AI-generated.

Second video is old footage

A reverse image search of keyframes from the second video led to an India Today report published on Sept. 13, 2025, titled, ‘Man claims adulterated petrol being sold after his car engine suffers damage.’

The report states that a motorist in Telangana’s Rangareddy district faced engine failure soon after refueling. During inspection, a mechanic reportedly discovered water mixed with petrol, which caused engine damage.

The video embedded in the report aligns with the viral footage.

The report does not mention E20, E85, or ethanol-blended fuel. Instead, it discusses accusations of fuel adulteration with water contamination.

The viral videos do not depict E20 or E85 petrol at fuel stations. One video is AI-generated, and the other is old footage of a fuel contamination incident in Telangana. Consequently, these claims are false.