Switching to E10 gasoline from 2026: Is gasoline quality guaranteed?

Understanding biofuel correctly and using it according to the recommendations of automobile and motorbike manufacturers are issues raised by consumers when the Ministry of Industry and Trade is proposing a roadmap to make biofuel use mandatory by early 2026.

Consumers are concerned that biofuel may affect vehicle engines. In the photo: a gas station in Hanoi sells biofuel - Photo: NGOC AN

According to Mr. Do Van Tuan - Chairman of the Vietnam Biofuel Association, it is necessary to clearly understand the true nature of biofuel as a type of gasoline mixed with a certain proportion of biofuel such as ethanol (E100) with mineral gasoline.

For example, E10 biofuel is a blend of 10% E100 with 90% traditional mineral gasoline, which can be RON92, RON95, or RON97 gasoline.

Biofuel must meet standards

In fact, the quality of biofuel has been "guaranteed" by Vietnam's national standards on gasoline, diesel fuel and biofuel issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology in 2023.

In which, E5 gasoline is considered a mixture of unleaded gasoline and fuel ethanol, with an ethanol content of 4 - 5% by volume; while E10 gasoline is a mixture of unleaded gasoline and fuel ethanol with a content of 9 - 10%.

Vietnam's national standards on biofuels also clearly stipulate the basic technical specifications and corresponding testing methods of E10 gasoline, including the octane number (RON) - that is, the base gasoline used for blending is mineral gasoline that must not be less than RON92, RON95 and RON97 gasoline.

Lead content meets relevant TCVNs, sulfur content, benzene, aromatic hydrocarbons, olefins, ethanol, metals must meet relevant standards...

"All E5 or E10 biofuel products must meet Vietnamese standards and equivalent standards to be circulated on the market. In fact, biofuel has been used and successfully applied in many countries such as North America, South America, Europe, India, the Middle East, and the Philippines," Mr. Tuan emphasized.

Meanwhile, Mr. Dang Thanh Tung, Head of the Commodity Management Department of PVOIL Dinh Vu - the unit that performs the blending and storage of gasoline for PVOIL, said that the blending of E5 bio-fuel in the past and E10 now is completely done automatically in tanks.

Before being put into circulation, products will be sampled in batches and quality tested by the National Committee for Standards and Quality (Ministry of Science and Technology). "Only when products meet the criteria for octane value, lead content, other contents... will they be put into circulation on the market," Mr. Tung affirmed.

According to Mr. Tung, this enterprise has invested in a testing room and has been recognized as meeting ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standards, with testing functions equivalent to those of a state testing room. The investment in this testing room is to ensure the quality of gasoline and oil when it is regularly released to the market.

"For example, with E10 bio-fuel, from the time of pilot implementation in Hanoi and Hai Phong, PVOIL has taken samples every 5 days with indicators such as ethanol content, water content, appearance inspection, and layering to determine whether the gasoline is layered after blending...", Mr. Tung said.

Need to consult manufacturer

Dr. Pham Huu Tuyen, Center for Research on Power Sources and Self-Propelled Vehicles (School of Mechanical Engineering, Hanoi University of Science and Technology), pointed out through research results that when using E5 or E10 bio-fuel, the technical features of the vehicle are improved to be equivalent to traditional mineral gasoline.

According to Mr. Tuyen, E5 and E10 gasoline have a very important parameter which is RON - octane number. Therefore, when using a vehicle, it is necessary to pay attention to the manufacturer's recommendations on using RON95 or RON97 gasoline to suit the vehicle's engine. Because previously, there was only E5 gasoline mixed with RON92, and RON92 was not suitable for many vehicle models that required RON95.

"Therefore, it is necessary to choose the appropriate RON index for each vehicle line. Research shows that when bioethanol is mixed with RON95, RON97 and used on vehicles, the technical features and acceleration capabilities are equivalent and no different from mineral gasoline. Meanwhile, emission components such as HC and CO are greatly reduced," said Mr. Tuyen.

According to Mr. Tuyen, the composition of bio-fuel will include many different indicators, depending on the type of gasoline mixed with E100. For example, E5RON92 gasoline is a blend of 5% ethanol with RON92 mineral gasoline; E10RON95-3 is a blend of 10% ethanol with RON95 level 3 mineral gasoline.

Similarly, ethanol can be blended with different types of gasoline at different Euro emission standards. Therefore, vehicle users need to pay attention to the manufacturer's recommendations to choose the right type of gasoline for the vehicle they are using, meeting emission standards.

However, some experts also said that it is necessary to pay attention to the "water absorption" ability of biofuel, especially for old and infrequently used vehicles. Regarding this issue, Mr. Tuyen said that there are many car models on the market, so it is necessary to have careful consultation with the manufacturer to replace and maintain the car models appropriately when switching to using biofuel.

"Each vehicle has instructions on how to use gasoline suitable for each vehicle model. Consumers should read this information carefully and consult the manufacturer's recommendations," Mr. Tuyen recommended.

Dr. Dao Duy Anh, Deputy Director of the Department of Innovation - Green Transformation and Industrial Promotion (Ministry of Industry and Trade), also confirmed that surveys in the US show that luxury cars use RON95, RON97 gasoline, which means the octane index is up to 95, 97 while ethanol has an octane index from 107 - 110, so when mixed, all luxury cars operate well.

"Therefore, when blending ethanol with different types of mineral gasoline, it will fully meet the consumption needs of vehicle users and compatibility for vehicle lines," Mr. Duy Anh affirmed.

Must comply with the emission standards of motorcycles.

According to the Vietnam Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (VAMM), including 5 member motorcycle manufacturers - Honda, Yamaha, Piaggio, SYM, Suzuki - all models are compatible and technically unchanged when using biofuel.

With Suzuki, most models are compatible, except for models such as Viva 110, Smash, Smash Revo, Shogun, Amity, AN125, GN125, Hayate, EN150, UA 125, GD110). Therefore, VAMM supports the expansion of the use of E10 biofuel, but the product must have quality that meets the vehicle's emission standards.

From 2017, newly manufactured, assembled and imported two-wheeled motorcycles must meet level 3 emission standards and from July 1, 2026, level 4 emission standards must be applied. Therefore, VAMM proposes to blend E10 gasoline with standards suitable for the emission standards roadmap of motorcycles to ensure the vehicle's operating efficiency.

NGOC AN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chuyen-doi-sang-xang-e10-tu-nam-2026-chat-luong-xang-da-duoc-bao-chung-20250828232024697.htm