The most common fuel blend that is sold in Australia is E10. E10 contains 10% ethanol blended with 90% petrol and is now sold in more than 1,400 petrol stations across Australia. Countries such as Brazil and the United States have used ethanol blended petrol up to E85 (85% ethanol blended with 15% petrol) for many years. Australia is slowly adopting E85 blended fuel.

 

E85 is an alternative fuel comprised of 85% ethanol and 15% unleaded petrol for use in “Flexible Fuel Vehicles” (FFV’s). FFV’s are truly flexible in that they can operate on petrol or any blend of ethanol up to 85%.

Most new cars that have been designed for unleaded petrol have also been approved by their manufacturer to run on (E10) ethanol blended petrol. Currently the only vehicles available in Australia that can use E85 are the SAAB 9-3 and 9-5 Bio power models as well as the new Holden VE Series II Commodore.

 

In Brazil flex fuel vehicles account for over half of all new car sales.

Since sugar based ethanol has less than half the CO₂ emissions of petrol, the higher the ethanol percentage the more the CO₂ reductions per litre. E85 is currently the highest ethanol blend that is commercially available in Australia.