Is your car compatible with E10 petrol?
This summer 2021, the standard petrol grade across the UK will become E10, which contains up to 10% renewable ethanol. E10 Petrol is compatible with almost 95% of all vehicles on the road today, including all cars built since 2011. The UK Government is now asking car owners to check if your vehicle is compatible with E10 Petrol.
Online E10 checking service
You can check whether your vehicle is approved to use UK E10 petrol using the E10 compatibility checker, which covers cars, motorbikes and mopeds.
https://www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-e10-petrol
What is E10 Petrol
Standard & Premium petrol across the UK is currently E5, which means it has up to 5% renewable ethanol (known as E5). E10 will be replacing the standard petrol fuel and will contain up to 10% renewable ethanol. E10 petrol is already widely used around the world, including across Europe, the US and Australia. It has also been the reference fuel against which new cars are tested for emissions and performance since 2016.
Benefits of E10
The main benefit of E10 petrol is that it reduces overall levels of CO2 (carbon dioxide) based vehicle emissions. This is because less fossil fuel is needed to make the fuel which helps tackle climate change. Government statistics predict it could save up to 750,000 tonnes a year, which is the equivalent of taking 350,000 cars off the road. The production of ethanol also results in valuable by-products, such as animal feed.
It must also be noted that there is no difference in emissions that are a concern for air quality and public health (including particulates, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and hydrocarbons). Using E10 fuel will not affect whether you must pay to enter, a clean air zone (CAZ), low emission zone (LEZ) or ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ).
What to do if your vehicle is not compatible with E10 petrol
The changes only impact the standard grade of petrol, the higher-octane or “Super’ grade” of petrol, which will remain available at many filling stations as E5. Vehicle users are also advised that if E10 fuel is added to a vehicle that is not compatible, it should not be a major problem, however prolonged use may cause damage over time.
Mixing E10 and E5 petrol
If your vehicle is compatible with E10 petrol, there’s no reason you can’t mix the two grades of petrol (E5 and E10). It is perfectly safe to mix them in the same tank or fill up with E5 if E10 is not available.
At the filling station
At the petrol station, a circular ‘E10’ or ‘E5’ label will be clearly visible on both the petrol dispenser and nozzle, making it easy for you to identify the correct fuel.
The ‘E10’ and ‘E5’ labels look like this

My registration is 09 is that compatible
Hello Mrs Wilkins, it depends on your make and model. Please visit https://www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-e10-petrol and click the green link to “Start Now”. Follow the pages, and it will ask you for your car’s manufacture, and then it will tell you which models are not compatible. Mode manufactures are compatible on models dating to the year 2000 and beyond. However, please check the government website ASAP.