E10 car checker latest – How to check if your car is compatible with new petrol and where can you get it from?
BRITAIN's motorists will be encouraged to use environmentally-friendly E10 fuel from this week - which will replace standard petrol.
E5 fuel was replaced as the default petrol by greener E10 fuel yesterday- and will be introduced on forecourts up and down the country.
The move is part of the Government's efforts to combat climate change and reduce carbon emissions to net-zero - the first step in paving the way towards fully on the road.
Diesel fuel will still be available but it is estimated that around 600,000 vehicles that usually take unleaded petrol won't be compatible with the E10 version.
This could leave drivers stuck paying for pricier super unleaded petrol, which is currently referred to as E5.
Read our E10 Fuel blog below for the latest updates & news...
TEN THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW AS A CAR OWNER
- When is your MOT due? Find out here
- When is your car tax due? Find out here
- Is it illegal to drive barefoot?
- How many units can you drink and drive?
- What do dashboard warning lights mean?
- Is it illegal to drive without road tax?
- Can you be fined for breaking the highway code?
- How to change the address on your driving licence
- What does MOT stand for?
- Is it illegal to park across someone’s driveway?
FULL LIST OF CARS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH NEW E10 FUEL
We’ve compiled a list of what the change means for cars from different manufacturers, using information from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association.
The change only applies to petrol cars and won’t affect you if your vehicle is diesel.
If you’re unsure about whether your car is compatible, you should contact a dealership of check your owners’ manual.
You can also check whether your car is compatible on the
WHY DOESN'T E10 WORK IN OLDER CARS?
Higher bioethanol petrol can dislodge deposits in older engines, leading to blockages and can also cause some seals and gaskets, as well as metals and plastics, to corrode.
If you did put E10 into an incompatible car, it would still run but tubing and metal connections will be damaged if used over a longer period.
WHAT FIAT MODELS CANT USE E10 FUEL?
E10 petrol is cleared for most Fiat vehicles with petrol engines of Euro 3 emission levels or newer from model year 2000.
However, the following models aren’t compatible with the new fuel:
- Barchetta: 1.8 16V
- Bravo/Brava (182): 1.6 16V
- Doblò: 1.6 16V
- Marea: 1.6 16V, 2.0 16V
- Multipla: 1.6 16V
- Palio: 1.6 16V
- Punto (188): 1.8 16V
- Stilo: 1.6 16V (1.596 cm3), 1.8 16V, 2.4 20V
E10 PETROL – BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?
The government has introduced E10 as the standard petrol to reduce transport-related CO2 emissions.
The key is the level of ethanol.
E10 petrol contains 10% renewable ethanol compare with the 5% in E5.
The higher percentage of ethanol in E10 helps reduce the amount of CO2 a vehicle produces.
This is because ethanol absorbs CO2 as it is produced.
It’s estimated that the more environmentally-friendly fuel could reduce CO2 emissions by 750,000 tonnes per year.
CAN I USE E10 FUEL IN MY LAWNMOWER?
E10 is slightly cheaper than regular unleaded and your mower may well run on it without any immediate problems, but you still need to be on guard.
Ethanol has a liking for water and, when E10 fuel is left in the mower’s fuel tank or stored in a fuel tin for extended periods, especially over the wetter and colder winter months, it can readily absorb moisture from the atmosphere.
This can corrode parts of your fuel system, which poses a potential safety risk as well as problems with starting and running smoothly.
Worse still, the ethanol can dissolve in the water and this ethanol-water mix will then separate from the petrol, forming two distinct layers and that’s when disaster is just waiting to happen when you start up your engine for the first time next spring.
Water getting into engines is always bad news, and often very expensive bad news to repair.
ASDA WILL NO LONGER SELL E5 PETROL
Asda won’t sell any E5 petrol at any of its 320 forecourts in the UK.
All Asda forecourts offer just one option for unleaded fuel and this will all move across to E10.
That means that the 600,000 drivers with cars that are incompatible with E10 will no longer be able to use Asda garages.
The supermarket said that the only visual change will be that where the label on the pump currently says E5 it will instead say E10.
There will also be a sticker with a link to the government’s information page about the changes.
You can find your nearest Asda store with a
WILL TESCO SELL E10 PETROL?
Tesco will offer E5 petrol at around 90% of its 600 garages, meaning there will be approximately 60 sites that do not offer the fuel.
Tesco has begun relabelling the pumps across its estate in order to meet the government’s September 1 deadline.
In addition to the government’s information campaign, the supermarket will tell customers about the changes via labels at the pumps.
There will also be posters advising drivers of the date of the change and directing them to the government information page.
You can find your local
WILL SAINSBURY’S SELL E10 PETROL?
A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s said it will keep customers updated and that “all pumps will be clearly labelled to help customers make informed decisions about the fuel that they buy”.
Sainsbury’s also said that most of its more than 300 sites will continue to sell E5.
Drivers can find their nearest Sainsbury’s petrol station by searching for garages on the supermarket’s
FORD MODELS CLEARED TO GO
All ford models sold in Europe since 1992 are able to use E10 fuel, with one exception.
Owners of Ford Mondeo 1.8 SCI, from 2003 to 2007, will be disappointed to learn they can’t fill up with E10.
WHAT IS ‘NET ZERO’?
The Government is introducing the new E10 measures as part of its commitment to get to ‘Net Zero’ by 2030.
Net Zero, or carbon neutrality, is the point at which a country or business does not emit more carbon into the atmosphere than it takes out. It does not necessarily mean there will be no carbon used after that point but all of it will be mitigated by schemes such as carbon capture.
However, warns how a country calculates Net Zero is set by them – some can measure it by how much carbon is in the atmosphere already and some may measure it by the carbon they have emitted in a certain period.
All of the countries who signed up to the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015 agreed to achieving Net Zero by 2050 to stop global temperatures rising by 1.5C.
But in one of her last acts as prime minister, Theresa May pushed through a law going one step forward – and pledged the Government to Net Zero by 2030.
WHICH COUNTRIES USE E10 FUEL?
E10 fuel has been rolled out across Europe progressively over the past decade.
the European renewable ethanol association, the UK is one of 15 European countries where E10 is available at the pump.
However take up varies with it estimating that E10 makes up 100% of market share in Bulgaria – with a population of seven million – but only 14% of Germany – with a population of 83m.
DIESEL & ELECTRIC CAR DRIVES WON’T BE AFFECTED BY THE CHANGES
Anyone who drives a diesel or electric car won’t be impacted by the change.
HOW WILL E10 AFFECT YOUR PETROL ECONOMY?
Though E10 petrol is cleaner to burn than the previous E5 standard, it’s not quite as efficient.
You’ll likely see a minor hit to your fuel economy, but we’re talking 0.1 or 0.2 of an MPG at the very worst, so not huge margins.
ALL CARS BUILT AFTER 2011 CAN SUPPORT E10 FUEL
If your car is built after 2011, this simple answer is yes. Every petrol car built since then has been required to support E10.
Even if your car is a little older than that, the chances are you’ll be able to put E10 petrol into your car without worrying.
If your car is older than 2000 though, it’s possible it won’t support E10 fuel.
ASDA WILL NO LONGER SELL E5 PETROL
Asda won’t sell any E5 petrol at any of its 320 forecourts in the UK.
All Asda forecourts offer just one option for unleaded fuel and this will all move across to E10.
That means that the 600,000 drivers with cars that are incompatible with E10 will no longer be able to use Asda garages.
The supermarket said that the only visual change will be that where the label on the pump currently says E5 it will instead say E10.
There will also be a sticker with a link to the government’s information page about the changes.
You can find your nearest Asda store with a
CAN I MIX E10 WITH 95 OR 98 FUEL?
Stations that offer two grades of petrol will stock E10 (95 octane) and E5 (97+ octane).
Thankfully, around 95 per cent of petrol-powered vehicles on the road are compatible with E10 petrol and this figure is increasing all the time, according to the government.
However, if your car won’t run on the new E10 fuel, you can continue to use E5 petrol in the “super” grade – 97+ octane.
If your vehicle is compatible with E10 petrol, there’s no reason why you can’t mix the two grades – E5 97+ and E10 95+.
It’s perfectly safe to combine them in the same tank or fill up with E5 if E10 is not available and it won’t cause any damage to your vehicle.
If you are running low on E10 and come across a station that doesn’t stock it, it is also fine to fill up with the old E5 95.
HOW IS E10 MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY THAN E5?
According to the Department of Transport, E10 is “blended with up to 10% renewable ethanol and made up of materials such as low-grade grains, sugars and waste wood, making it greener than existing petrol”.
It is slightly less efficient than regular E5 but only by one per cent which you are unlikely to notice on short journeys.
CAN I USE E10 FUEL IN MY LAWNMOWER?
E10 is slightly cheaper than regular unleaded and your mower may well run on it without any immediate problems, but you still need to be on guard.
Ethanol has a liking for water and, when E10 fuel is left in the mower’s fuel tank or stored in a fuel tin for extended periods, especially over the wetter and colder winter months, it can readily absorb moisture from the atmosphere.
This can corrode parts of your fuel system, which poses a potential safety risk as well as problems with starting and running smoothly.
Worse still, the ethanol can dissolve in the water and this ethanol-water mix will then separate from the petrol, forming two distinct layers and that’s when disaster is just waiting to happen when you start up your engine for the first time next spring.
Water getting into engines is always bad news, and often very expensive bad news to repair.
HOW TO CHECK IF YOU CAR IS COMPATIBLE WITH E10 PETROL?
Vehicles manufactured from 2019 onwards should have a label close to the petrol filler cap clearly marked E10 and E5 showing the fuel that can be used.
You can check if your car is compatible with the fuel by visiting the official website.
To check your vehicle’s compatibility you will need to provide information on its manufacturer.
You will be shown a list of which models can run on E10 and which can’t.
For example, for Ford it says that all models sold in Europe since 1992 can use E10, with one exception: the Ford Mondeo 1.8 SCI from 2003 to 2007.
WHICH CAR MODELS TAKE E10 (CONTINUED)?
LAND ROVER: E10 petrol is cleared for use in all Land Rover vehicles with petrol engines starting from model year 1996.
Older vehicles should continue to use E5.
MG: There is no compatibility information available for older MGs up to 2005 when the company ceased trading. Recommended to use E5 petrol.
MINI: E10 is cleared for use in all Mini models with petrol engine after the relaunch of the Mini brand in the year 2000.
VAUXHALL: E10 is cleared for use in all Vauxhall vehicles with petrol engines, excluding the 2.2 litre direct-injection petrol engine, motor code: Z22YH (Vectra, Signum, Zafira) which should continue to use E5 petrol.
WHICH CAR MODELS CAN USE E10 FUEL?
BMW: All petrol engine BMW models are cleared for the use of E10 petrol regardless of their year of manufacture but the minimum octane required should be observed according to the owner’s manual.
FORD: E10 is cleared for use in all petrol-driven Ford models sold in Europe since 1992 excluding: Ford Mondeo 1.8 SCI from 2003 to 2007.
This model and Ford models sold before 1992 should continue to use E5.
HONDA: All Honda cars with fuel injection are compatible with E10 petrol (Honda PGM-FI).
All Honda cars without fuel injection should continue to use E5.
JAGUAR: E10 petrol is cleared for use in all Jaguar vehicles with petrol engines starting from model year 1992.
Older models should continue to use E5.
DRIVERS WHO CAN’T USE E10 MIGHT HAVE TO PAY MORE
Around 600,000 vehicles are estimated to be
The only alternative could be super unleaded, which is more expensive than standard petrol.
The average price of standard petrol was 135.4p per litre last week, while super unleaded was 145.5p, according to research by the AA.
But you could pay up to 20p more per litre for super unleaded across the country with petrol prices ranging from 140p to as much as 160p.
AA PRESIDENT HAILS MOVE TOWARDS CLEANER TRANSPORT
Edmund King said: “This is a positive and simple step to help reduce the carbon impact from road transport.
“While the vast majority of vehicles will be unaffected by the change, it is important for owners of older cars to use the Government’s vehicle checker to see if they can use E10.
“Even if E10 is put in a non-compliant vehicle, drivers should not panic and can simply put super unleaded in their tank at the next available opportunity.”
WHAT FIAT MODELS CANT USE E10 FUEL?
E10 petrol is cleared for most Fiat vehicles with petrol engines of Euro 3 emission levels or newer from model year 2000.
However, the following models aren’t compatible with the new fuel:
- Barchetta: 1.8 16V
- Bravo/Brava (182): 1.6 16V
- Doblò: 1.6 16V
- Marea: 1.6 16V, 2.0 16V
- Multipla: 1.6 16V
- Palio: 1.6 16V
- Punto (188): 1.8 16V
- Stilo: 1.6 16V (1.596 cm3), 1.8 16V, 2.4 20V