What is E10 gasoline?

From September 2021, petrol stations across the UK have started selling a new type of petrol called E10. It will replace E5 petrol and become the "standard" petrol at all filling stations. Why is this change and what does it mean for your car? Here's our handy guide to E10 gasoline.

What is E10 gasoline?

Gasoline is mostly made from petroleum, but it also has a percentage of ethanol (essentially pure alcohol). The regular 95 octane gasoline that currently comes from the green pump at the gas station is known as E5. This means that 5% of them are ethanol. The new E10 gasoline will be 10% ethanol. 

Why is E10 gasoline being introduced?

The growing climate change crisis is forcing governments around the world to use as much as possible to reduce carbon emissions. E10 gasoline helps achieve this goal because cars produce less CO2 when they burn ethanol in their engines. Switching to E10 could cut overall car CO2 emissions by 2%, according to the UK government. Not a huge difference, but every little thing helps.

What is E10 fuel made of?

Gasoline is a fossil fuel that is primarily made from crude oil, but the ethanol element is made from plants. Most fuel companies use ethanol, which is produced as a by-product of sugar fermentation, mostly in breweries. This means that it is renewable and therefore much more sustainable than oil, reducing CO2 emissions both during production and use.

Can my car use E10 fuel?

Most gasoline powered vehicles in the UK can use E10 fuel, including all gasoline vehicles sold new since 2011 and many vehicles manufactured between 2000 and 2010. countries that have used much more for many years. There are even some countries where cars use pure ethanol. Most vehicles available in the UK are sold worldwide and are therefore designed to run on higher ethanol gasoline.

How can I find out if my car can use E10 fuel?

Most vehicles made since 2000 can use E10 fuel, but this is just a rough guide. You need to know for sure if your car can use it. This can damage your vehicle's engine - see "What can happen if I use E10 fuel by mistake?" below.

Luckily, the UK government has a website where you can select your vehicle make to check if it can use E10 fuel. In many cases, the vast majority of models can use E10, but all exceptions are clearly listed.

What should I do if my car cannot use E10 fuel?

Only regular 95 octane gasoline from the green pump will now be E10. Premium high-octane gasoline like Shell V-Power and BP Ultimate will still have E5, so if your car can't use E10, you can still top it up. Unfortunately, this will cost you about 10p per liter more than regular gasoline, but your car's engine should perform better and may even give you better fuel economy. Premium gasoline is usually filled from a green pump that has either the name of the fuel or an octane rating of 97 or higher.

What can happen if I fill up with E10 petrol by mistake?

Using E10 gasoline in a car that is not designed for it will not cause any problems if you fill it up once or twice. If you do this by accident, you won't need to flush the fuel tank, but it's a good idea to add some E5 gasoline as soon as possible to thin it out. It's good to mix the two. 

However, if you reuse E10 it can destroy some engine components and cause long term (and potentially very costly) damage.

Will E10 petrol affect my car's fuel consumption?

Fuel economy can be slightly worse when the ethanol content of gasoline is increased. However, the difference between E5 and E10 gasoline is likely to be only fractions of a mpg. Unless you get over very high mileage, you are unlikely to notice any decline.

How much does E10 gasoline cost?

Theoretically, the lower oil content means that E10 gasoline is cheaper to produce and should cost less to buy. But if, as a result of the transition, the price of gasoline does fall, it will be only by a very small amount, which will not have much effect on the price of refueling.

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