During the summer, standard unleaded petrol (E5) was changed to the new E10 fuel. The shift seemed to happen really quickly with little warning.
Some people may be unaware that anything has changed, after all, nothing really looks any different at the pumps, other than a label saying E10 instead of E5. So, how do we know if our vehicle will run with the new fuel?
As a general rule vehicles manufactured from 2011, which is around 95% of cars on the road, will be compatible with the new fuel – but even ones before this date may be suitable. The Government has this useful E10 vehicle checker where you can check if your vehicle is eligible.
If your car can not run on E10 you can use super unleaded, and if you use the E10 by mistake it will not cause a major problem. However, continued use may cause harm.
E10 is a greener blend of petrol with a higher percentage of renewable fuel, This means lower carbon emissions. The E stands for ethanol. The old fuel contained only 5% ethanol, whereas it is now up to 10%. The ethanol can be made by fermenting crops, like wheat and corn, and the by-products may then be used for animal feed.
The UK joins a number of European countries in introducing this fuel, with France starting to use it in 2009. In South America, Brazil uses up to 27% ethanol in their petrol.
The Government predicts that the impact will be the same as removing around 350,000 cars from the road, and should reduce CO2 emissions to help tackle climate change. Despite this, it will sadly not help the air quality.
Diesel and electric vehicles will not be affected by this new fuel.
Maintaining your vehicles will save you a lot of time and money, and likely prove quite satisfying in the process. When you eventually encounter issues that demand repair, you should put just as much effort into getting great work done — so get in touch with Treadfirst when the time comes.
