The new E10 fuel will be introduced in the UK from the first of September 2021 it will replace the normal petrol that is on sale known as E5, the E10 will contain 10% bioethanol while the E5 only contains 5% bioethanol. The new E10 fuel is said to be more environmentally friendly and the 10% bioethanol is a renewable source of energy. The new government scheme to roll out the new petrol means vehicles will emit less C02 which will slow down climate change.
The government has announced that around 5% of vehicles in the UK are not compatible with the E10 petrol, that means around one million cars and motorbikes will not be compatible. The government has said that drivers can sometimes put E10 fuel into their car that is designed for E5 petrol but not regularly as this will risk damaging the engine. Consumer organisation Which? found that if drivers do cause engine damage to their vehicle while using E10 petrol, 46% of car insurances wont pay out for any repair costs. Compare the market say that drivers may need to add misfuelling to their car insurance policies but this will come at an additional cost.
Once drivers put E10 fuel into their car instead of E5 the car will still run but there may be some issues depending on the vehicle, engine variant and how much fuel was put in. You may find that some seals, plastics and metals will start to become damaged overtime because of the bioethanol’s corrosive properties. You also may hear the sound of a knocking engine and the car might start to run differently if these problems start to happen the RAC have advised the driver to simply top up with the correct fuel.
All vehicles built since 2011 are compatible with E10 fuel and some cars that are built from the late 1990s, you can check if your car is compatible on the UK governments website. Once you use the government website checker you will need the vehicle model, engine size and the year it was manufactured. The website states: “The E10 petrol check has been created by the Department for Transport (DfT) using information supplied by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association and European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers. The information is subject to change and we cannot guarantee its accuracy. If your vehicle is fitted with replacement parts this will also affect its accuracy. DfT and its partners will not be liable for any damage to your vehicle as a result of you using this service.”
You can have a mechanic to update your vehicle to be compatible to use E10 but this will cost on average around £300.
E5 will still be sold at most petrol stations with at least two sorts of fuel-which is most of them. However, it will become ‘super’ grade fuel rather than the current ‘premium’ grade, meaning it will cost more than the E10 petrol. After making the switch to E10 the government said you may see a 1% fall in the amount of miles you get per gallon of fuel.
