Imagine the following situation: you stop at a gas station, pay in advance at the cash register and just before you grab the fuel gun, your gaze falls on a small but startling sticker on the pump. It has a graphic warning that literally says: “Do not put this in your tank!“. This is exactly what happens to American Spencer, whose lightning-fast reaction on Facebook has accumulated over 3 million views and has become an absolute sensation. The man without hesitation cancels his payment and leaves the site, leaving thousands of Internet users in a state of confusion about what exactly modern fuels are hiding.
It turned out that the apple of contention is the well-known in Europe, but increasingly prevalent in the US fuel labeled “E15“ (in Europe E10). Behind this code is standard gasoline, but it is mixed with a higher content of bioethanol - between 10.5% and 15%. Spencer categorically states in his video that this is “the thing that breaks everyone's cars“, since the average driver doesn't bother to read the pump specifications before pulling the trigger. And to some extent he is absolutely right - for a certain category of vehicles, such a cocktail in the tank can end with an expensive trip to the car service.
Official data from the Department of Energy clearly indicates that E15 gasoline is absolutely prohibited for motorcycles, heavy-duty vehicles, off-road vehicles and all conventional cars manufactured before 2001. The reason? A number of automakers and engineering associations have warned that the high concentration of alcohol is aggressive on older materials, literally corroding rubber seals, plastic hoses and aluminum parts of the fuel system. The wave of skepticism in the comments under the video even reached conspiracy theories that this is a deliberate plan to forcibly remove older and easier-to-maintain cars from the roads.
However, on the other side of the barricade stands large-scale scientific research. The legendary test of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, covering 82 cars over two years and over 6 million miles, proves that E15 does not cause any additional damage to the catalytic converters or emission systems of modern cars. What's more - nearly 95% of new cars on the road today are factory-certified to run on such fuel. The big catch here is not in the damage, but in the wallet: ethanol contains about a third less energy than pure gasoline, which automatically increases fuel consumption by 4 to 5 percent.
Ultimately, the truth, as always, is somewhere in the middle and requires driver literacy. If you drive a modern car, the investment in E15 gasoline will not blow up your engine, despite the panic on social networks. But if you own an older and classic car, really take those cherished two seconds to look at the sticker on the pump - it can save you thousands of leva in replacing punctured fuel lines.
In Europe, gasoline labeled E15 (containing up to 15% bioethanol) is practically not sold at gas stations. European legislation and the current EU Fuel Directive impose a strict ceiling on mass automotive fuels, limiting mass blending to E10 (up to 10% ethanol). While E15 is becoming more widespread in the US and is even being encouraged to be sold all year round, for European manufacturers and regulators this is still a “distant dream”. In some EU countries (such as France) there is E85 fuel (with up to 85% alcohol), but it is intended only for specially modified "Flex-Fuel" cars. Ideas for the future introduction of E20 are being discussed for environmental reasons, but they are in the initial stages. And what do you think about the topic, you can share in the comments.