2:53 pm, September 1, 2021
Almost a quarter of motorists do not know that a new type of petrol has been introduced at forecourts from today (September 1), new data has revealed.
Research from breakdown group the RAC found 24 per cent of drivers did not know that E10 fuel fuel was coming.
Of those surveyed, 27 per cent have not looked into whether their vehicle is compatible.
Among those that did know about E10, price was a major concern with a whopping 59 per cent admitting to fears over increased costs.
In addition, 53 per cent of respondents said they were concerned about finding pumps with traditional E5.
Meanwhile, 20 per cent said they fear mistakenly filling with E10 and causing expensive damage, while the same proportion were concerned that the value of their car could drop.
RAC head of policy Nicholas Lyes said: ‘E10 petrol has already started appearing on forecourts to replace the old E5 blend, and that process will continue at pace in the coming weeks.
‘Drivers who will continue to rely on E5 will also need to make sure the filling station they’re visiting stocks the fuel in the first place, or risk running out of fuel and having to call on their breakdown provider.
‘We’d also like to remind owners of classic cars that they need to be careful not to accidentally top up with E10 and then leave it sitting unused in the tank for long periods, something which can lead to expensive damaged plastics, metals and seals.’
The Government has introduced E10 petrol as a way of cutting tailpipe emissions.
It has a 10 per cent ethanol content, up from the typical E5 used at British pumps.
However, while the vast majority of cars on the road should be fine to use the new fuel, cars built before 2002 will likely not be compatible.
In the UK, all cars built since 2011 must have E10 compatibility.
Drivers can check if their vehicle can run on E10 petrol on the Government website.
E10 fuel is arriving across Great Britain now, and is expected to make its way to Northern Ireland in early 2022.
