What is E10 fuel and can I use it in my car?

E10 fuel is now the standard grade at most petrol station forecourts in the UK.
It was introduced in the UK on 1 September 2021 as a more sustainable form of petrol. E10 fuel is widely used in various countries within Europe, such as Finland, France, Germany and Belgium, and outside Europe, including Australia.

E10 petrol, or ‘premium’ petrol, is a biofuel containing 10 per cent of bioethanol and 90 per cent gasoline.
The previous standard petrol grade was E5, also called super grade petrol – which contains up to five per cent ethanol. Related: Learn more about different fuel types, and which one is right for you

The main difference between is E5 and E10 fuel is the percentage of ethanol used.
Ethanol is a renewable, colourless alcohol made from agricultural sources like sugar beets or processed corn. When ethanol is produced, we get valuable by-products like high protein animal feed and stored CO2, which can have many uses and can help reduce the need to import these products. By using more ethanol, a plant-based source, E10 fuel reduces the reliance on fossil fuels. The production of E10 fuel also plays a greater role in supporting farming and manufacturing businesses. Ethanol is also non-toxic and renewable. The higher percentage of ethanol in E10 helps reduce a vehicle’s CO2 emissions, as ethanol absorbs CO2 as it’s produced during fuel combustion.

It’s usually cheaper to fill your car with E10 petrol than with E5, due to its wide availability across the country. Since E10 became the standard petrol grade, however, this doesn’t mean that it’s lower quality.
The Department for Transport’s impact assessment estimated the reduction in petrol costs to be by 0.2 pence per litre. However, a shift from E5 to E10 may increase the overall fuelling costs for petrol cars by 1.6 per cent as the energy content of E10 fuel is less than that of E5 which can slightly reduce your car’s fuel economy. The reduced fuel economy would increase the need to refuel and thus, motorists would end up buying more litres of fuel - this would slightly increase the total amount spent on refuelling overtime. Related: Fuel-efficient driving tips to reduce car emissions

While most cars are compatible with E10 fuel, some cars manufactured before 2011 may not be compatible with E10 and require you to use E5 petrol instead.
If you’re unsure about compatibility, you can do a quick and easy E10 compatibility check on gov.uk for free. This E10 petrol check service will confirm compatibility with vans, motorcycles and mopeds. You can also check whether your vehicle is compatible with E10 petrol by checking the user manual or asking the manufacturer.

Can I use E10 petrol in classic cars?

E10 fuel may not be compatible with some of the classic cars and older cars, as well as cars using a carburettor. Again, you can use gov.uk’s E10 checker to find out whether your car can run on E10 fuel or not.

If you use E10 fuel instead of E5, you won’t require any immediate action like draining out the fuel, which would be the case if you used diesel instead of petrol (or vice versa).
Simply check compatibility to make sure that E10 fuel is okay for your car and use the right fuel next time. Filling stations clearly label the petrol as E5 or E10 on both the petrol dispenser and nozzle so that you use the right fuel for your car according to compatibility. If you're out and about and the filling station doesn't stock E10 or none is available (as you may find in some more remote locations) you don't need to worry too much about filling up with E5 every once in a while.

The apparent risks of running an older car that doesn't appear on the Government list of E10-compliant vehicles have been somewhat overstated. The relatively small change in the proportion of ethanol in unleaded shouldn't cause too many problems, even in older cars.
Many countries have been using E10 for years, and a study commissioned by the US military and Department of Energy as far back as 1981 concluded there was no additional wear and tear to the engine from using E10. While it's true the higher ethanol content does increase the fuel's tendency to absorb condensation in the system, and that could conceivably increase corrosion in metal components like fuel lines and tanks, this would happen anyway in older cars and be considered 'service items' anyway, ditto seals, rubber tubes and other components in the fuel system. The best way to avoid potential issues would be to use your car as regularly as possible to avoid condensation, corrosion and other issues.

Vehicle owners can still use E5 fuel if they wish to.
Filling stations still sell E5 as approximately five per cent of cars in the UK aren’t compatible with E10 according to gov.uk. Although, the number of E10 compliant cars will only increase as the older cars become redundant and get replaced with newer ones.

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