Classic Car Owners told there's no need to panic over new fuel changes

10/09/2021     General News

Recent news about the E10 fuel pumps starting to take over at UK petrol stations, has left some classic car owners concerned.

The UK’s standard unleaded petrol has changed with the introduction of E10 fuel from September 1st, and filling stations around the country are now required to sell the new formulation of fuel. There are fears that this development has serious implications for drivers of older cars.

But Damian Jones, Head of Sales at H&H Classics, is reassuring on this subject. He says: “Most classic cars are indeed incompatible with the new E10 petrol. However, you can still buy E5 petrol albeit in more expensive, higher octane guise as Super Unleaded. There are no plans at present to stop selling Super Unleaded which most petrol stations stock. There was a similar ‘concern’ when leaded fuel was phased out during the 1990s.”

 E10 contains a higher bio-ethanol mix than the outgoing regular E5 unleaded petrol and is being introduced as part of efforts to reduce the C02 emissions generated by transport.

All cars built after 2010 are designed to run on E10 and most cars built since 2000 are also compatible but owners of cars older than that could run into problems if they use E10 for prolonged periods say the experts. But with E5 petrol still freely available there is no need to panic.

Classic cars will continue to be seen on our roads and at Classic car events, fully fuelled and going strong.