Over the last few days fuel has been all over the headlines, which has led countless people to think more about what they’re putting into their car, and when. In the last few months, the UK has adopted E10 fuel as a nation, making it the new standard for all UK drivers. It’s definitely something you’ll need to be aware of if you’re driving a brand new car, and it’s worth staying up to speed if you’re driving an older or used car too, especially if you’ve bought it from one of our online car auctions. Here’s what you need to know.
What is E10 fuel?
E10 is an automotive fuel that is made up of 90% unleaded petrol and 10% ethanol, (hence the name E10). While ethanol is more popularly known for being an alcohol produced from plants, such as sugar and beets, it is also widely viewed as a more sustainable energy source. The previous petrol grade in the UK is known as E5, which as you’ve probably guessed, contains up to 5% ethanol. The rest is regular unleaded petrol. While E10 fuel is relatively new to the UK, countries around the world have been using it for years, such as France, America, and Australia. Brazilian drivers even run their cars on 100% ethanol!
Why has it come about?
Using E10 fuel has been adopted primarily as an environmental move, to reduce the level of CO2 emissions produced by the UK. The government states that simply by doubling the amount of ethanol in the fuel, the CO2 reduction could be the equivalent of removing 350,000 cars of the road. Not only does using a higher percentage of ethanol use less fossil fuels, but in the process of creating renewable ethanol you can also make food for animals!
However, it’s not all smooth sailing, as although ethanol is easy to blend with other fuels to enhance your car’s performance, it is slightly less energy dense. What this means for you is that it could reduce the miles per gallon your car achieves by up to 1%. Despite this drop, it’s probably so small that you won’t even notice it when driving every day, with your driving style or tyres contributing more to your fuel economy.
Who can use it?
This is probably the most pressing question, and what you really want to know. The answer is really simple; all cars manufactured from 2011 onwards will be able to run on E10 fuel. If you suspect your car is not compatible with E10, then you will still be able to fill up with E5, it just won’t be the default fuel. If you want to know if your car is compatible, you can have a look on the GOV.UK website, where you can check if your vehicle is compatible.
And if you’re thinking about swapping out an older car for a newer model, you’re in exactly the right place. We’ve got plenty of vehicles to choose from in our own online car auctions right here at RAW2K. Our auctions are refreshed on a daily and weekly basis, so there are always new deals to be had, from a range of leading manufacturers such as Volkswagen, Citroen and Vauxhall. Why not look around our site, and see what you can find?
