Ethanol and your engine: What you need to know

Ethanol is a clean, high-performance renewable fuel that works in today's cars and trucks. Its use boosts engine efficiency, improves urban air quality and mitigates climate change.

Ethanol is:

1. A fuel with a long history... and a future: It's been used in petrol since the days of the Ford Model T.
2. A fuel more energy-efficient than petrol: With higher-octane than normal petrol, it improves efficiency, especially in today's downsized engines
3. A fuel with benefits for air quality: Higher ethanol blends result in lower emissions of dangerous pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and particulate matter
4. A fuel that fights climate change: European ethanol saves 66% greenhouse gas emissions compared to petrol

Discover more about the benefits of ethanol for today's automotive engines in our new factsheets.