Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to facilitate the continued use of E5 fuel for Classic Car owners.

On 25th February we published the Government response to the consultation paper “Introducing E10 petrol”. The Government response confirmed our intention to introduce E10 petrol in the standard 95-octane petrol grade by 1 September 2021 and to ensure that E5 will remain available at the higher-octane super grade. The Department has taken the needs and concerns of classic car users into consideration in developing these proposals and understands that many owners of classic cars already use the higher-octane option.

E10 (Petrol containing up to 10% bioethanol)

1. Currently, petrol blends supplied in the UK contain no more than 5% bioethanol. These blends are referred to as E5. E10 (petrol containing up to 10% bioethanol) has become widely available in several countries within and outside Europe, but it has not yet been introduced in the UK.
2. A majority of vehicles on the road now are optimised to use E10 petrol, as E10 has been the reference fuel for new car type approval for fuel consumption and emissions standards since 2016.
3. Switching from E5 to E10 petrol could help further reduce CO₂ emissions from petrol cars and help the UK meet emissions targets.
4. Bioethanol production in the UK also results in valuable by-products, such as high protein animal feed and stored CO₂ for the nuclear and food and drink industries, reducing the need to import these products.
5. Introducing E10 would also have wider economic benefits in terms of providing support for UK bioethanol producers, and farmers in the supply chain, which will support local economies.
6. On the 4 March 2020 the Government published the consultation paper “Introducing E10 petrol”. The consultation closed on 3 May 2020 and the Government Response was published on 25 February 2021.
7. As proposed in the consultation the Government response affirms our commitment to keep petrol with a lower ethanol content (E5) available. This fuel will continue to be supplied in the higher octane super grade.
8. This will be achieved by requiring that filling stations that have sold over one million litres of fuel in the last calendar year (including diesel sales), and which stock at least two grades of petrol, would sell a petrol grade with no more than 5% ethanol, 2.7% oxygen and have a minimum of 97 octane. It would also prohibit these filling stations from selling super grade petrol that contains more than 5% ethanol.
9. Both measures to introduce E10 petrol UK-wide in the standard 95-octane grade and ensure the higher-octane ‘Super’ grade remains E5 at all forecourts that stock two petrol grades, will be reviewed within 5 years to ensure they remain appropriate as is required by good legislative practice.
10. In relation to the E5 protection grade, such a review will examine if there’s a viable and widely available alternative to ensure suitable low-ethanol fuel remains available for older vehicles and other petrol-powered machinery that require it. We have also sought to provide reassurance that, without such an alternative becoming available, it’s highly likely the E5 protection grade would continue to apply.
11. The final impact assessment which accompanies the Government response notes that the majority of incompatible vehicles in 2021 will be classic and cherished cars and assumes a significant proportion of those are already using the Super grade, as it generally considered preferable for older cars. We expect therefore that relatively few users of classic vehicles will need to switch to the Super grade.