E10 is a blend of 10% renewable ethanol (up from 5% with E5) and 90% regular petrol, making it more climate friendly.
E5 means that the petrol contains up to 5% bioethanol, blended with unleaded 95 or 98. E10 petrol, or SP95-E10, is unleaded 95 enriched with 10% bioethanol.
All cars built since 2011 are compatible. This means the whole new Ford car range are compatible too. If your car does fit into the 5 per cent that are not compatible with E10 petrol, you will still be able to fill up with E5 fuel by purchasing the 'super' grade petrol.
E10 is a type of petrol that is replacing E5 as the standard unleaded petrol at UK fuel stations. It contains more ethanol and less fossil fuel than E5, so the government hopes it will go some way towards reducing carbon emissions.
If your vehicle is compatible with E10 petrol, there's no reason you can't mix the 2 grades of petrol (E5 97+ and E10 95+). It's perfectly safe to mix them in the same tank or fill up with E5 if E10 is not available.
As mentioned above, all vehicles made after 2010 can run on E10 fuel and the majority of cars built between 2002 and 2010 will also be compatible. However, there are some exceptions, including certain models from brands like Ford, Renault, Toyota, Lexus, Volkswagen, Audi and Mercedes.
CAN I MIX E10 AND REGULAR UNLEADED? Not like diesel and petrol, you can refuel with E10, regular or premium unleaded without any damage to the fuel system or engine.
The Government has said that these fuels will continue to be available in many but not all petrol stations and should provide better performance but will cost more.
Since its introduction in September 2021, E10 has replaced E5 fuel as the standard petrol grade in the UK. E5 fuel is now considered 'super' grade, and although all major petrol stations still stock it, it's more difficult to come by at rural or remote stations, who may only stock E10.
High-octane premium petrol like Shell V-Power and BP Ultimate will continue to be E5, so if your car can't use E10 you can still top up using this.
The speedy transition can cause problems for the engine, one of which is sluggish performance, engine damage and even difficult to start-up. Likewise, frequently changing fuel brands. Each manufacturer has a different configuration, therefore this type of differences can shock the engine and cause a serious problem.
The main difference between is E5 and E10 fuel is that E5 contains only five per cent ethanol while E10 contains 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline. Another difference between E5 and E10 is how they are produced - ethanol is a renewable, colourless alcohol that is made from agricultural sources such as sugar beets.
Using fuel of a higher octane than your engine needs or can benefit from won't hurt it, only your wallet. The difference between premium and super unleaded at the UK forecourt these days is a maximum of two points (97 octane versus 99) and the chance of a modern engine being damaged by the lower of the two is nil.
Premium fuels (E5 - 'super' grade 97+ octane)
Such products also go by names such as Shell V-Power and BP Ultimate or otherwise contain the term 'high octane' in their promotional materials. These types of fuels are known as E5 fuels, and have an octane rating of 97+.
Many cars will print an advisory label on the inside of the fuel filler cap that notes the minimum fuel quality required by the engine, and while it's not recommended to go lower, is there any risk to going higher? Bottom line, no. There is no risk when putting higher-octane fuel in your petrol car.
E10 is compatible with most modern petrol cars on the road today. Ethanol blended motor vehicle fuel is used in over 64 countries. If the manufacturer says your car can take regular unleaded and/or E10 petrol, there is no reason for you to use premium petrol.
If your vehicle or equipment is not compatible with E10 fuel, you are still able to use E5 by purchasing Shell V-Power grade petrol from most Shell service stations.
What's the problem for classic cars? Although many cars run on E5 without significant problems, doubling the amount of ethanol in the fuel can cause a variety of issues in olders cars. Ethanol is hygroscopic, which means that it absorbs water from the atmosphere. And that water, in turn, finds its way into your car.
If you put E10 fuel in an incompatible car it will still run, but seals, plastics and metals may be damaged over longer periods as a result of bioethanol's corrosive properties.
What happens if you mix 98 and 95? Mixing premium unleaded (95) and super unleaded (97/98) evenly in your tank will give you a mixed-grade petrol of a roughly 96 octane rating number. While this is unlikely to cause major damage to your car, the RAC recommends sticking to the octane recommended for your vehicle.
bp Ultimate Unleaded has a higher octane (97 RON minimum) than the minimum 95 RON required by law for petrol in the UK.
Supplies of E5 'Super Unleaded' have reportedly been hit by the introduction of E10 petrol as confusion reigns at the pumps. Everyday drivers as well as classic owners have been using the high octane fuel as they're simply not sure whether their cars can run on E10, with shortages reported across the country.
If, for example, your car says 'premium 95', then it is not recommended to use unleaded 91, as doing so can cause engine knocking and potentially engine failure. This isn't guaranteed to happen of course, but you will probably experience a loss of power, acceleration and fuel economy over time.
Most petrol vehicles built after 2000 are compatible with E10. If your car is E10 compatible you can replace your unleaded petrol with E10 when you fill up. It's ok to switch back and forth between E10 and other unleaded fuel types, where your manufacturer has advised these fuels are suitable for your vehicle.
No problem with putting 95 or even 98 in a car designed for 91 – except generally you will be wasting money. Higher octane fuels don't contain more energy. Octane rating is basically resistance to burning under pressure, allowing higher compression ratios to be used (cylinder pressures, actually).