Brave new world of biofuels: How E10 makes your car go
Pop quiz: You pull up to the bowser to fill your tank, and on the menu of petrol options is E10.
What do you do?
Answer: Fill it up, mate!
Available in more than 64 countries, E10 is a biofuel made up of regular unleaded petrol and up to 10% ethanol. Compatible with most petrol cars on the road today, it’s an alternative and sustainable fuel choice for NSW motorists.
Read on to discover why choosing E10 could be the best option for you and your vehicle – and maybe even for the environment.
A fuel for the future
We know: change can be hard. But it’s time we started to rethink our fuel sources and come up with solutions for a more sustainable future. For car drivers, a first step in the right direction may be opting for E10 at the pump.
Most of the ethanol used to make E10 in NSW is made using the starch that gets left over after wheat has been turned into flour. This agricultural by-product is fermented, then converted into ethanol. Some supplies are also sourced from Queensland, where the ethanol is made from the grain sorghum.
According to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), E10 fuel produced under Australian conditions has between 2 to 5 percent lower CO2 emissions than regular unleaded petrol.
And, as E10 contains around 35 percent oxygen, it delivers a cleaner burn.
“Using E10 is better for the environment as there are lower greenhouse gas emissions,” says Ian O’Hara, professor of chemical engineering and industrial biotechnology at Queensland University of Technology.
“There are also less particulate emissions from using E10 so it is better for air quality and helps to make our cities healthier.”
Busting myths about E10
If you always thought that petrol with the highest octane was best for your car, then you’ve been misled. In fact, if the manufacturer says your car can take regular unleaded and/or E10 petrol, there is no reason for you to use premium.
Using E10 isn’t going to do much to change the gas mileage on your car either —that’s mostly dependent on your driving habits. While E10 has about 3 percent less energy than the equivalent amount of RON 91 petrol, this has about the same effect as driving on tyres with inadequate air pressure.
There are a range of factors that determine fuel economy, including how well your vehicle is maintained, how often you use the air con, how efficiently you drive, and what the road conditions are like.
Okay, but what about my car?
While some may worry that this small percentage of ethanol inside their vehicles could do harm, the truth is, that’s just not the case.
“The use of ethanol in petrol increases the octane level of the petrol without the need for other chemical octane enhancers like MTBE,” says O’Hara.
“The use of MTBE as a fuel additive has been banned in several countries including the US and Japan. Ethanol is a safer and cleaner alternative octane enhancer.”
The majority of petrol-powered cars on the road today are built to be compatible with E10. Most manufacturers include E10 compatibility information in owners’ manuals, while some also put it on the inside of the fuel flap for easy access. You can check to see if your car is E10 compatible on the e10fuelforthought website here.
If your car is compatible and you switch to E10 after using other fuel blends, just be aware that there may be a one-off need for a mechanic to change your fuel filter sooner than normal, especially if you drive an older car.
Why?
Ethanol is a solvent, and as it runs through the car’s fuel system, it may loosen any scale or build up already there, depositing these particles in the fuel filter.
You may be thinking: Is this bad? Not at all. Checking and occasionally replacing a fuel filter is a normal and necessary part of standard vehicle maintenance.
“Ethanol is a good fuel,” says O’Hara. “It improves engine performance, is cleaner and greener and helps grow jobs in regional communities.” So next time you pull up to refuel, consider your options: E10 is here to stay.
To learn more about E10 and to find a petrol station near you, go here.
