“The launch of E10 in Germany is a positive move and is extremely welcomed”, said Rob Vierhout, ePURE’s Secretary General, in a statement released today. “But this uncertainty is not good for everyone. I understand that people may be confused but the E10 product is perfectly safe and it has been introduced in several major countries without any problems”, added Mr. Vierhout.
E10 is a fuel mixture containing 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline and is a standardised product under EU law. It has already been used in the US for a number of years. In fact, only recently the US authorities increased the permitted fuel blend from E10 to E15 due to the clear success of E10. ePURE highlights that several European countries have also been using E10 for sometime. “France has been successfully using E10 for two years now and Finland also launched E10 at the beginning of 2011 with no problems. Sweden has also used E10 for several years,” says the association, which suggests 93% of motorcars on the German market are compatible with the E10 biofuel, with 99% of cars manufactured in Germany being E10 compatible (data from Verband der Automobilindustrie).
“European-produced E10 is a renewable energy source that is vital in the fight against climate change by reducing carbon emissions in the transport sector; contributes towards domestic energy security in Europe by decreasing our dependence on foreign oil imports, and creates thousands of jobs in Germany and elsewhere in Europe,” says ePURE.
“The problems with the E10 launch in Germany have been caused simply due to the lack of information available to motorists. I urge those who attend today’s planned fuel summit to work together to resolve the current uncertainty,” commented Vierhout. “This impasse will not blunt current growth of E10 ethanol fuel in Europe. But now we need more EU countries to follow this lead and introduce E10.”
ePURE recommends that if motorists are still uncertain about the E10 compatibility of their vehicle, they should consult the German automobile information centre (DAT) or their car supplier.
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