99 per cent of all cars from German manufacturers can use E10
Comprehensive information for all motorists
Berlin, 8 March 2011. "The German automotive industry regards the Federal Government’s ‘fuel summit’ as an important contribution to making the discussion surrounding E10 more objective. The automotive industry has set itself the goal of co-ordinating with the Government, the petroleum industry, the ADAC and other industry sector associations to supply motorists in Germany with sound information about the new fuel E10, in order to clarify the debate. E10 can be used in 93 per cent of all petrol-driven cars on our roads – and among vehicles from German manufacturers the figure is actually 99 per cent. Standards have been fixed to ensure strict regulation of the quality of the new E10 fuel. Therefore there is no cause for concern about pollutant emissions and the longevity of engines,” the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) stressed. "All the information is available. After the ‘fuel summit’ we will continue to provide consumers with comprehensive information on the compatibility of our vehicles,” the Association underlined. It pointed out that in addition, the manufacturers publish information about E10-compatible models on their websites, and have hotlines that motorists can call if they have further questions.
Compatibility list on the websites of all German manufacturers and the VDA
"The facts are clear. Now the important thing is to reach the customers and motorists and put over the advantages of E10. This requires action from all those involved,” the VDA emphasised. An overview of the cars that are compatible with E10 has been available for several months, it added, on the websites of the German Car Trust Agency DAT (www.dat.de) and the VDA (www.vda.de). The ADAC (the German automobile club) and the German Ministry of Economy are using this overview of E10-compatibility to disseminate information.
"This multi-manufacturer list is published by DAT with intensive input from the VDA and the Association of Motor Vehicle Importers (VDIK). Any one can use it to check quickly and easily whether their model can run on the new fuel. Furthermore, for several months an ‘Info flyer’ co-ordinated with the VDA has been available from the Federal Ministry of Economy. And motorists can call the service hotline of their manufacturer or contact the relevant dealer,” the VDA stressed.
Biofuels are part of the VDA’s broad-based strategy
The German automotive industry represents quality for its customers and the environment. The Association added that biofuels were an important component of its "broad-based strategy” – which comprised the optimisation of classical powertrains along with the development of alternative ones. The OEMs had therefore carefully checked the compatibility of vehicles already on the roads with the new fuel, and carried out this investigation in a technically sound manner. "On international markets such as the USA, the German automotive industry has more than 15 years of experience with fuel containing ethanol,” the VDA underlined.
Unequivocal results from compatibility tests in the fleet
The results of the intensive compatibility tests in the fleet are unequivocal. "Overall, around 99 per cent of petrol-driven passenger cars from German manufacturers on German roads can fill up on the new E10 fuel. This means that we are making a key contribution to future savings of over 2 million tonnes of CO2 every year,” the VDA emphasised.
Ethanol has good combustion properties, said the VDA, and is a fuel that can also be used to meet future exhaust standards. The lower energy density of E10 as compared to E5 (ROZ 95) means that its volumetric additional fuel consumption is 1.7 per cent. The efficiency of the powertrain remains unchanged.
Even today, the German automotive industry already has numerous low-emission and low-consumption vehicles on sale new. However, the introduction of E10 affects all (petrol-powered) passenger cars in Germany, and for this reason the additional benefit for the climate is especially large, the Association pointed out.
"For the German automotive industry the ethanol blend is one part of the biofuel strategy of the future. However, investment in second generation biofuels is of greater strategic importance,” the VDA underlined. It welcomed the fact that biofuel use still remained part of the bioenergy strategy of the German Government. "In particular we support the German Government in its plan to promote the production of second generation biofuels on an industrial scale because these fuels do not affect the food chain, but are made from agricultural waste products. They also make a considerable contribution to climate protection and their overall environmental footprint is far superior to that of today’s fuels,” the VDA added.
