News: New E10 Petrol Introduced In The UK

Here at RWC Motor Company we are always on top of the latest used car news and trends and here on TheHub we are able to keep you updated with all of the used car in Colchester news as well as used car news across the UK.

One of the biggest news stories to come out of 2021 so far is the change to standard petrol in the UK. The government have announced that the standard (95 octane) petrol grade in Britain will become E10. This only affects petrol and diesel will remain unaffected in these changes.

The good news for you is your vehicle is more than likely compatible with the new E10 petrol. According to the GOV.uk website, 95% of petrol powered vehicles on the road today will be able to use the E10 petrol and any car built from 2011 onwards will be compatible.

If you car isn’t compatible with the new E10 petrol then maybe it’s time for a change? Here at RWC Motor Company we have a wide variety of used cars in Essex and Colchester in stock for you to browse on our website.

Another alternative is to use the E5 petrol you continue to use now. This will only be available as the ‘super’ grade petrol from most filling stations (97+ octane).

If you want to check if your vehicle can use the new E10 vehicle, the GOV.uk website has a vehicle checker that you can find here.

What is E10 petrol?

The new E10 petrol contains up to 10% renewable ethanol, this introduction will help to reduce carbon dioxide (or C02) emissions that come with petrol vehicles and help in the countries to bid to aid the fight against climate change. Many countries across the world already use E10 petrol and since 2016 it has been the fuel used to test new cars for both emissions and performance.

CO2 is a greenhouse gas that affects climate change and like we said above, one of the benefits of the E10 petrol is it begins to minimise the levels of CO2 based emissions from your vehicle.

The E10 petrol is made up of normal petrol and up to 10% renewable ethanol. Introducing the E10 petrol could help to cut transport based emissions of CO2 by 750,000 tonnes a year – which according to the GOV.uk website is the same as taking 350,000 cars off the road.

Is E10 economical for drivers?

The short answer is no. There isn’t a huge difference in what miles per gallon (MPG) you’ll get but it is reported that E10 petrol can slightly reduce fuel economy – but only by about 1%.

When is E10 available from?

E10 is becoming the standard petrol in Great Britain from 2021 (this year) with the change expected to come in Northern Ireland next year (2022). E5 petrol, or the super grade (97+ octane) will still be available in some filling stations across the country, those stations with two grades of petrol will continue to stock this.

It’s really easy to know which petrol you’re filling your car with as the labels on the petrol nozzle is a large circle with the letters in the middle in black and white. If your vehicle was manufactured in 2019 and onwards then there will be a label near to the fuel cap telling you what fuels your vehicle can use.

What happens with E10 in ULEZ zones like in London?

Luckily using E10 petrol doesn’t affect your ability to drive in or have to pay to enter any low emission/ultra-low emission zones – the factors for this are determined by the Euro emissions standard on your car and not by the fuel you use.

If you’re looking for a car you know you’ll be able to use the new E10 petrol in to replace your current vehicle then look no further than RWC Motor Company where we have years of experience in the industry and over 50 cars for you to choose from.