Fuel – Advice on using the new E10 Fuel in your Nissan Figaro
In line with the USA and a number of European counties within the next few months the UK will start to see a new fuel for sale on its forecourts. E10 is a biofuel made up of 90% regular unleaded and 10% ethanol – hence the E10 name. You will be familiar with unleaded 95 fuel which you currently use and this contained 5% ethanol, however, this is now changing to E10. There is currently no requirement for ethanol to be present in super unleaded 97-grade fuel.
Why is E10 being introduced?
This is all part of the government targeting net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050 and vehicle pollution is high on the agenda. More worrying for us is for this reason UK ministers may plan to ban the sale of petrol, diesel and hybrid cars from 2035!
What is Ethanol?
Ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel produced from the fermentation of a range of plants, including sugarcane and grains, along with their by-products. Unlike regular unleaded petrol, ethanol fuel is said to be partially atmospherically carbon-neutral. This is because as the plants that will become biofuel grow, they reportedly absorb more carbon dioxide than what will be released into the air during fuel production and combustion.
This partially offsets the greenhouse gas emissions produced by its production and use, but just how much is still an active topic of debate.
Can I fill up with E10?
The Figaro Owners Club does not recommend using E10 in your Figaro. This is because at the time of writing we have no data or information concerning the prolonged effects using 10% of ethanol will have on your engine. We understand the continued use of this level of bioethanol’s with its ‘corrosive properties’ may end up damaging parts of the engine such as seals, plastics, and metals including the fuel tank if the car is left for a long period with E10 Fuel in the tank.
What if I fill up with E10 by mistake?
The consequence of putting E10 fuel in your Figaro as a one-off error shouldn’t be a disaster. Simply top up with unleaded E5 fuel when you have around a third to half the tank.
What if I can only buy E10?
We know of many members located in the US and parts of Europe where E10 is the only available fuel. In this situation, we recommend adding an ‘additive’ to the fuel when you fill-up. Here are two products used for addressing the impact of E10 (ethanol) in a car.
- EEC 6 IN 1 Petrol Solution
- STA-BIL Fuel Stabilizer +Storage
NOTE: We are not recommending the use of these additives and you do so at your own risk
How long will I be able to buy E5 fuel?
A consultation document states that unleaded (E5) will be protected beyond 2020, meaning E10 could well be on sale by then. On the positive side, that should mean we can still purchase standard E5 petrol – for the foreseeable future at least. The Government says its preferred option is to introduce a ‘protection grade’ that requires larger filling stations to continue to stock the standard premium 95 petrol in an E5 grade should they decide to stock E10.
Will I be able to get my Figaro converted to run on E10 in the future?
We do not know the answer to this, however we feel this could be achieved at an extra cost as an upgrade if it is the only option available. Clearly if the government get their way and E5 fuel is phased out it may be the only option to owners to keep the cars on the road.
Is anyone fighting our corner?
The FHBVC is certainly keeping abreast of the ethanol situation and fighting our corner – check out their background info at https://www.fbhvc.co.uk/fuels. This also details additives that can be used to help ease the storage issues with ethanol fuels left in petrol tanks over the winter or long-term.
What the experts say
We asked the founder of The Figaro Shop, Toby Brooks, and Editor of Classics Monthly, Simon Goldsworthy for a comment on this subject.
Watch this short Video
[youtube]https://youtu.be/Ef-9XxZ1gy4[/youtube]
Further Comments
There is talk about ensuring the provision of E5 for some time as a legacy fuel for those vehicles that cannot use E10, but personally I feel the same thing will happen here as happened with unleaded fuel – owners will not be willing to pay the required premium to buy E5, and suppliers/retailers will not find it cost-effective to produce and stock such fuels given rapidly shrinking sales. As a result, I think that whatever the legal situation regarding its sale, E5 will not last long after the widespread introduction of E10. On the bright side though, I do remember that everything was doom and gloom when leaded fuel was being phased out, that it was going to drive thousands of classics off the road. The reality was rather different, and if people want to continue using their classics, specialists and enthusiasts will find affordable ways to adapt them. Simon Goldsworthy – Editor Classic Car Weekly
I’m not an expert on however this is my opinion. There is lots of info floating around about the type of fuel to use in your Figaro, there has been for many years. For me most of the specialist fuels are aimed to gain performance which is not always top of the list for the Figaros. The high octane fuels we get in the UK are closer to the octane levels at the pump in Japan so that may be worth doing, especially if its a rebuilt engine. As for ethanol in the fuel, yes it is designed for the newest engines and could deteriorate an older engine faster than it would have with ethanol free fuel. It’s worth bearing in mind though that other parts of the engine typically wear out faster anyway. I am not aware of any tests on Figaro engines to monitor the results. Countries such as USA already have ethanol in their fuel, almost all fuel has it in there and there are lots of old cars on the road. So I guess in summary the higher octane fuels are better but for me its not a big thing, there are many other areas I would be attending to first. Toby Brooks
Further Reading
We have found some useful websites explaining more about the subject
RAC – What is E10 fuel and how will it affect you?
https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/emissions/what-is-e10-fuel-and-how-could-it-affect-you/
Classics World – POTENTIALLY HARMFUL E10 PETROL COULD ARRIVE IN 2020
https://classicsworld.co.uk/news/potentially-harmful-e10-petrol-could-arrive-in-2020/
Car Guide – Can my car use E10 ethanol fuel?
https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-advice/can-my-car-use-e10-ethanol-fuel-23625
This is Money – Fuel stations will switch to greener E10 petrol next year, but experts warn it may cause catastrophic damage to classic cars and models built before 2002
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-8431219/E10-fuel-sold-forecourts-2021-damage-older-cars.html
