E10: Everything you need to know about cleaner form of petrol entering Britain's forecourts
When one driver Stuart Smith checked a governmment list, he found the new fuel is not suitable for his 18-year old-mercedes, ITV News Consumer Editor Chris Choi reports
A new, greener petrol is being introduced at service stations across Britain from Wednesday.
More than 8,000 petrol stations will start selling E10 fuel, which is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from combustion engines, as it is made from materials such as grains and sugars.
The petrol, which is due to arrive in Northern Ireland in early 2022, will be the standard offering at forecourts under the new government energy plans.
So exactly what is E10 fuel and how will it change the forecourt experience?
What is E10 fuel made up of?
It is a motor fuel that contains less carbon than other fuels currently on sale and more ethanol, a kind of alcohol manufactured from plants.
Ethanol is considered to be a carbon-neutral fuel, as the plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air while they are growing. This offsets the CO2 emitted when the fuel is burnt.
Current petrol grades in the UK - known as E5 - contain up to 5% ethanol, with the remaining 95% comprised of regular unleaded petrol. Their replacement, E10, will mean this percentage rises to 10% - bringing the UK in line with the proportions seen in other European countries such as France and Germany.
How will E10 affect my car?
The Department for Transport (DfT) said more than 95% of petrol cars licensed for use on Britain’s roads are compatible with E10.
While all petrol vehicles made after 2011 should accept E10, the greener fuel won't be compatible with up to 600,000 older vehicles currently on UK roads, according to RAC estimates.
Owners of those vehicles can continue to access E5 by purchasing super unleaded which costs an average of 8.7p a litre more than standard petrol, according to AA figures.
Motorists can use the government’s online E10 checker to find out if their vehicle can be filled with E10. If a car is not compatible with the new fuel, it could damage the engine.
But it is possible for drivers to mix E5 and E10 fuels in their tanks.
What are the environmental benefits of E10?
The transition to the greener petrol is part of the government’s move to net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
It will help cut the overall quantity of fossil fuels required to power the UK's cars.
The rollout of E10 could reduce transport CO2 emissions by 750,000 tonnes per year- the equivalent of taking 350,000 cars off of UK roads- according to the DfT.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Every journey matters as we drive forward the green industrial revolution, which is why the rollout of E10 is so important.
“It’ll help us cut road greenhouse gas emissions and meet our ambitious net zero targets."
Are there any negative impacts to E10?
Edmund King, president at the AA, has warned fuel bills could rise for all motorists because E10 doesn’t go as far as the E5 unleaded that it replaces.
Because the energy content of the new fuel will be lower, motorists will have to buy more litres of fuel, which could see fuel costs for petrol cars rise by 1.6% as a result of moving to E10, he added.
There have also been reports that E10 could cause damage to rubber seals, plastics and metals in the long run, and that it is a less stable fuel, which could make it harder to start a car that has not been driven for some time.