One of the biggest sources of pollution in the UK is road transport, but with around 75% of the UK’s population owning cars, this presents itself as a rather difficult issue to tackle. However, we’re going to take a closer look into how the latest composition of fuel and the introduction of E10 have put steps in place to put an end to these harmful emissions. You may ask but what is E10 fuel, we will explain in this article.
Currently, unleaded petrol in Britain contains 5% bio-ethanol, also known as E5, but the new, greener fuel that can be found throughout the country, named E10, contains 10% bio-ethanol. This increase in bio-ethanol is said to have the ability to slash greenhouse emissions by up to 60%!
Surprisingly, despite the new law that was introduced in March 2013 legalising the trade and consumption of selling fuel that contains higher levels of bio-ethanol (like E10), on the whole, the majority of petrol garages have still stuck with stocking the 5% unleaded petrol E5. This is having a wider detrimental effect, making the EU targets for 10% of all road traffic to be fuelled by renewable energy seem like an unrealistic, far-fetched dream.
Yet, despite E10’s efforts to help restore the current state of our environment, there have been some hidden disadvantages brought to light when What Car? took a closer look in to the ‘green’ fuel…
The downside to E10
Testing the fuel in the real world, outside the confines of a lab environment, revealed that although this fuel type may be helping save the planet, it certainly isn’t helping drivers’ wallets.
Average fuel consumption of those running off E10 increased by a rather large 8.4%, with smaller engine cars (usually for the more money-conscious) using the most. But why is this happening? Well, the increased amount of bio-ethanol is actually having a decreased effect on the amount of energy being produced. Ethanol provides 30% less energy than petrol, so over a period of time will reduce its fuel efficiency and therefore have a knock-on effect on the performance of the vehicle.
And unfortunately, it doesn’t stop here. A part of the substance has been linked to causing certain components to work their way loose, causing blockages to hose filters, fuel injectors, and fuel pumps.
In terms of the effect it is having on the wider environment, the fuel is ultimately its own worst enemy, as the deforestation that is needed in order to attain the fuel eradicates any reduction E10 would have achieved.
So overall, although there is no denying the E10 fuel does go some way to introduce renewable energy sources into the fuel industry, there are still some other disconcerting factors to bear in mind before filling up your tank!
Many vehicle rental companies now offer low emission cars to their customers as an alternative and an opportunity to cut CO2 emissions. If you’re looking for a trusted car hire company, whether it be a large Luton van or small car for a couple days or a long term rental, Caversham can tailor our service to meet your needs. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team today for more information.