07th January 2020 | By Ray Tyler

E10 Fuel

What is E10 Fuel?

E10 fuel is designed to be a more eco-friendly petrol and was introduced to UK filling stations last year.

E10 has been introduced to replace E5 petrol at the pumps. The Department for Transport (DfT) expects E10 fuel to be the new standard petrol grade. But not all cars will be able to run on it.

In a bid to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the UK, the Government has decided to change the standard grade of petrol from 95% octane and 5% ethanol (known as E5 at the petrol pumps) to a mix that contains 10% renewable ethanol and the rest octane (which is not suprisingly known as E10).

By changing the mix of the fuel, the level of CO2-based vehicle emissions should be reduced. The government anticipates that this could cut transport CO2 emissions by up to 750,000 tonnes a year. To put that into a little more perspective, that’s equivalent to taking 350,000 cars off the road.

Will this affect Fuel Economy?

The UK Government recognises that E10 petrol can see a slight reduction in fuel economy. They have carried out an impact assessment and have found that using E10 fuel is likely to cost around 0.2p per litre more than E5 petrol. That means that if you’re filling up a 50-litre fuel tank on your car, you can expect to pay a £1.00 increase when filling up.

 

Is your car compatible with E10 Fuel?

The Government anticipates that around 95% of petrol-powered vehicles are compatible with E10 fuel. All new cars manufactured since 2011 are compatible with E10 petrol. However, there are some cars that might not be compatible with E10 petrol:

• Classic cars
• Some specific models of car, with most being manufactured from the early 2000s
• Some mopeds, particularly those with under 50cc

If you want to find out if your car is compatible with E10 petrol, then click this link E10-Fuel Checker. You’ll find all major manufacturers covered and you’ll be able to easily see which models will and won’t run on E10 fuel.

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