Is Your Car Compatible with E10 Fuel?

Nearly a quarter of motorists don’t know whether their cars are compatible with the new eco-friendly petrol set to be introduced this month.

The UK government will make E10 the norm, replacing the current E5 version, which is deemed to be much less harmful to the environment, with more than 8,000 petrol stations set to sell the E10 version from September 2021.

With less carbon and more bioethanol – an alcohol manufactured from plants – E10 will boost the percentage of bioethanol to 10%, as opposed to E5’s current 5%.

The plan is to cut carbon emissions by 750,000 tonnes a year by switching, the equivalent, insists the Department for Transport, of taking 350,000 cars off the road.

It is understood that every vehicle built after 2011 will accept E10, but some 600,000 may not as they’re too old.

“Drivers who will continue to rely on E5 will also need to make sure the filling station they’re visiting stocks the fuel in the first place, or risk running out of fuel and having to call on their breakdown provider,” RAC head of policy Nicholas Lyes told the BBC.

Those who use the E5 version will need to pay potentially, on average, 12p a litre more for the previously standard unleaded.

You can find out if your car will run on E10 – and not be at risk of engine damage if using the wrong fuel – by using the Government’s checker site.

However, they insist they won’t be liable if it does damage your vehicle after you have used their site, especially if the car has replacement parts following a repair job.

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