The UK recently made the switch over to E10 petrol, but with so much confusion, lack of information and clarity out there regarding what the actual difference is, we're left wondering what exactly it is going into our fuel tanks this year.
E10 simply put, is a greener, more environmentally friendly blend of petrol than the standard that the UK has used for many years now, previously using the E5 fuel blend. E10 contains a far higher percentage of renewable fuel, lowering carbon emissions overall across the board. The core of the fuel, bioethanol is produced by fermenting plants into an alcohol solution; these plants are sourced often from throw away crops that aren't used in food produce, and can be extracted from plants such as wheat, corn and sugar beets. Currently, the UK's greenhouse gas emissions are a target for the government to help us tackle climate change, and with passenger cars on the road making up around 20% of our emissions, the E10 switch could reduce our footprint pretty significantly, while being at little change to consumers around the country.
This fuel type is perfectly safe for your vehicle, whether it's a car, motorcycle or scooter and has been used by many countries in Europe for some months now. The fuel should be compatible with nearly all models of vehicles, but for clarity's sake, the government has produced an online tool that you can use to check the compatibility of your vehicle, which you can find here.
The new fuel is also estimated by the Depart for Transport to lower the price at the pump by 0.2 pence per litre, however, the drop has actually been seen to be more, going as low as 2.4p in the week leading to the switch at the end of August.
If you've been driving or riding with the new fuel, have you noticed any differences, from your miles per gallon to performance? We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Be sure to get in touch here.
