Does ethanol effect fuel economy?
Quite possibly it does, but a random guy talking into a camera is not any form of proof or evidence of this.
The RAC Report below states up to 3% decrease in economy using E10 -
Is E10 bad then?
This depends on who you speak to. Environmental groups will point to carbon-offsetting properties, while the government will be keen to introduce E10 as a step towards meeting its emissions targets.
But E10 is less efficient than the current E5 blend of fuel, with the problem exacerbated in smaller-engined cars.
RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “With the price of petrol at its highest for eight years [August 2021], those drivers who have no choice but to use super unleaded E5 petrol will be paying through the nose, as it’s averaging around 147p a litre – that’s 12p more expensive than the current UK average for standard unleaded.
“This will quickly mount up for anyone who has to drive a lot of miles to get to work every week. It’s also probably the case that many of those driving older cars will already be from lower income backgrounds, so they will end up being even worse off.
“And those with E10 compatible cars will unfortunately find they are getting fewer miles to the gallon as the fuel is less efficient than E5 fuel, due to it containing 5% more ethanol.
The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) claims the energy content of ethanol is about 33% less than pure unleaded and that "the impact of fuel ethanol on vehicle fuel economy varies depending on the amount of denaturant that is added to the ethanol.
The EIA states: “The energy content of denaturant is about equal to the energy content of pure gasoline (petrol). In general, vehicle fuel economy may decrease by about 3% when using E10".