Palladium nanoparticles were deposited on different metal oxide/C supports using a mixture of ethylene glycol and sodium borohydride during the reduction step. The electrocatalytic activity of Pd-based electrocatalysts was investigated for ethanol oxidation in alkaline medium. More negative onset potential and peak potential values for ethanol oxidation were shown at Pd-metal oxide/C electrocatalysts when compared to those at Pd/C. The oxidation current density recorded decay percentage of 84.44% at Pd-SnO2/C compared to 48% at Pd/C during the stability test. Adding MnO2, V2O5, RuO2 or SnO2 to Pd/C enhanced its charge transfer properties by 1.91, 4.77, 5.05 or 6.23 times. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.