There’s a new fuel on the block! If you’ve never heard of E10 before then this handy guide is just what you need. We’re going to break down everything you need to know about E10, the UK’s green-pump fuel.
What is E10 fuel?
E10 fuel isn’t exactly new. It means that the 95% of octane fuel that is currently sold on UK soil, will now be required to contain up to 10% of bioethanol, rather than the standard 5%.
The purpose of bioethanol is that it helps to cut emissions when cars burn petrol and it’s also a renewable source of energy.
Why do we use E10 petrol?
It all comes back down to the ban in 2030 on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. The government is eager beavers and wants to try and drive down vehicle emissions as much as they can and making the switch to E10 fuel, this will help to reduce emissions in the short term. By having a higher ethanol content, emissions will be reduced, and it’s estimated that numbers-wise, this will be the equivalent of taking around 350,000 cars off the road!
It’s all about the emissions at the end of the day and increasing the content of bioethanol, our cars should be less reliant on fossil fuels and emissions will then reduce. Not rocket science really, we’ve been talking about reducing emissions for years now.
Can your car run on E10 petrol?
The short answer is yes. In today’s society, the majority of vehicle use have been approved to use petrol and will be perfectly fine to run off E10.
What about older vehicles? Well, the chances are if you have an old car that you’ll still be able to put E10 in your car without a problem. If your car was built in the early 2000s, then the likelihood is that it will support E10, but if you’re unsure or have any doubts, you can always use the government website to check.
Can E10 fuel damage my engine?
If your car doesn’t take E10, then that’s fine. You’ll still be able to run your car using premium fuel, with the only downside being that it costs more per litre, but apart from that, you will get better performance and improved fuel economy. Win-win!
What should you do if you put E10 in a non-compatible vehicle?
This has to be every car owner’s worst nightmare! You know you’re having a bad day if you put the wrong type of fuel in your car. If this happens to you, the best thing that you can do is figure out how much you’ve put in and go from there.
The amount of damage that has been caused, if any, will depend on your vehicle itself and how much you’ve filled up with the wrong fuel. Touchwood, you shouldn’t need to drain the tank, it may just be a little rough running but it shouldn’t be a complete disaster for you.
Just top it up with the right fuel when around half your tank has been used, and you should be good to go!
