Difference between E5 and E10: What you should know

When refueling, there are the different gasoline variants E5 and 10, but what is actually the difference between them? Here you will learn the most important differences.

What is the difference between E5 and E10

The main difference between E5 and E10 is the proportion of ethanol in the fuel.

• In E5, the ethanol content is a maximum of 5%, while in E10, the proportion of bioethanol can be up to 10%.

• E10 was introduced to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels.

• E10 is usually cheaper than normal super gasoline, but engines consume about 1% more fuel with E10 than with E5.

• During the production of E10, less CO2 is emitted, which is good for the environment.

• However, wheat or sugar beets are used to produce the ethanol for E10 fuel, which are then not available as food.

• Tanken mit dem neuen Kraftstoff E10 DEU, 20110417, Zapfsäule für E10, Einführung eines neuen Produktes an den Tankstellen

Sollte man E5 oder E10 tanken?

Now that the difference is clear, the question arises as to whether it is worth filling up with E10:

• Most modern cars can be filled up with E10 without any problems. If you have an older vehicle, you should definitely check whether the engine is suitable for E10.

• The more affordable E10 fuel costs about the same as E5 gasoline due to the slightly higher consumption. Individually, one of the types of gasoline can bring advantages for individuals.

• For the environment, E10 is better due to lower CO2 pollution. E10 is now available throughout Germany – almost every gas station offers it as a standard fuel. While there was still a lot of skepticism about its introduction in 2011, E10 is now widely established. Many carmakers have also designed their engines to use it as standard.

• For a long time, E10 was noticeably cheaper than E5, often with a price difference of four to six cents per liter. Currently, this price difference has largely evened out and at many gas stations, the difference is only one to two cents. In some cases, the prices are even identical, especially in regions with a high density of gas stations or at certain gas station chains.

• Nevertheless, regional price fluctuations play a major role. In rural areas, E10 can sometimes even be more expensive than E5 in cities.

• • The biggest difference for your wallet is when you fill up: the right day and the right time. Experience shows that prices are lowest in the early evening (between 6 and 8 p.m.) and tend to be higher in the morning.