Should you fill up your car with E5 or E10, and is there a difference?

DutchNews, October 12, 2018

Photo: Depositphotos.com 

Moves to standardise the names of different types of fuel come into effect in the Netherlands on Friday, but the old names will stay for some time to give drivers time to get used to the change. 

From Friday the names for petrol, diesel and LPG at petrol stations will be the same throughout Europe as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Macedonia, Serbia, Switzerland and Turkey. The aim is to make it easier for people to opt for the right fuel when abroad.

In total some some 150,000 stickers have been handed out to 4,000 petrol stations nationwide to alert drivers to the new names. 

Standard unleaded fuel will now be known as E5 or E10 depending on the ethanol percentage added to the fuel. 

E10 is due to be the standard by 2020, but motoring organisation ANWB  has warned it is not suitable for cars built before 2000. Car owners can check here if their cars are suited to E10 or whether they have to use an alternative fuel. 

Petrol stations in Germany, France and Belgium have already switched to E10 and are phasing out E5/Euro95. The Netherlands is lagging behind but will be up to speed before 2020, the ANWB said.