If you have visited a UK fuel station recently you will have noticed the pumps are labelled E10. Since September 2021 this has been the standard grade of unleaded petrol at UK forecourts. The vast majority of cars handle it without any issues — but around 600,000 vehicles on UK roads cannot use E10 safely, and many drivers still do not know whether their car is one of them. (source)
What is E10 petrol?
E10 is petrol blended with up to 10% renewable ethanol — hence the name. The previous standard was E5, which contained up to 5% ethanol. The change was introduced to reduce CO2 emissions from road transport, as ethanol burns more cleanly than fossil fuel hydrocarbons. E10 is estimated to reduce CO2 emissions from petrol cars by around 2% on average.
Can my car use E10 petrol?
This is the most important question. The answer depends on the age and type of your vehicle:
Cars that can use E10
The vast majority of petrol cars made after 2011 are fully compatible with E10. Most cars made after 2000 are also compatible. If your car was manufactured in the last 15 years, it is almost certainly fine to use E10.
Cars that cannot use E10
Around 600,000 vehicles in the UK are not compatible with E10. These are typically:
- Classic and vintage cars built before the mid-1990s
- Some vehicles built between 1995 and 2011, particularly certain models from smaller manufacturers
- Some motorcycles and mopeds, particularly older models
- Some light goods vehicles
- Certain specialist and kit cars
How to check if your car is compatible with E10
The quickest way to check is to use the official UK Government E10 compatibility checker at gov.uk/check-vehicle-e10-petrol-compatibility. You will need your vehicle's make, model and year of manufacture.
You can also check your car's fuel cap or inside the fuel filler flap — many post-2011 cars have E10 compatibility marked there. Your vehicle handbook should also confirm compatibility.
What happens if an incompatible car uses E10?
Using E10 in an incompatible vehicle will not cause immediate catastrophic damage — it will not seize your engine or cause it to cut out on the road. However, over time, regular use of E10 in an incompatible vehicle can cause:
- Corrosion of fuel system components — ethanol can corrode certain metals and degrade rubber seals used in older fuel systems
- Fuel system blockages — degraded rubber and plastic components can break down and block fuel filters and injectors
- Running problems — rough running, hesitation and poor starting as fuel system components degrade
- Damage to carburettors — older carburettor-based engines are particularly vulnerable to ethanol corrosion
What should incompatible vehicles use instead?
If your vehicle is not compatible with E10, you should use E5 Super Unleaded instead. This is still available at most UK forecourts — it is typically labelled as "Super Unleaded", "Premium Unleaded" or shown with the E5 label. It costs more — usually 10-15p per litre more than standard E10 — but it is the correct fuel for incompatible vehicles.
E5 Super Unleaded will continue to be available at UK forecourts for the foreseeable future to cater for incompatible vehicles.
Does E10 affect fuel economy?
Yes, slightly. Ethanol contains less energy per litre than petrol, so E10 typically reduces fuel economy by 1-3% compared to E5. For most drivers this is barely noticeable — a car achieving 40 MPG on E5 might achieve 38.5-39.5 MPG on E10. The environmental benefit of lower CO2 emissions is generally considered to outweigh this small efficiency reduction.
Is E10 bad for your car?
For compatible vehicles, no — E10 is perfectly safe and will not cause any damage. The fuel meets the same quality standards as E5 and is used safely in hundreds of millions of vehicles worldwide. If your car is listed as compatible, you can use E10 without any concern.
Will E20 or E30 come next?
There has been discussion in the UK and EU about increasing ethanol content further — E20 (20% ethanol) is used in some markets and could theoretically be introduced in the UK in future. However, there are no confirmed plans to change from E10 in the UK at present. Any future change would require a long transition period and would almost certainly not affect cars made in the last 10 years.
Find the cheapest E10 and E5 near you
Whether your car takes E10 standard petrol or needs E5 Super Unleaded, Save at the Pump shows you the cheapest price for both grades at stations near you, updated every hour from official Government data. Use the fuel type filter to find the cheapest E5 if your car requires it.
Related guides
- Use our interactive E10 compatibility checker — instant answer for 50+ makes
- How to improve your MPG — E10 can reduce efficiency by 1-3%
- Find the cheapest E5 Super Unleaded near you — if your car needs it
- UK petrol and diesel price chart
- Is there a cheapest day to buy petrol?