These are the Negative Impacts of Ethanol-Blended Gasoline on Cars

KatadataOTO – The implementation of gasoline with a 10 percent ethanol mixture, or E10, is one of the government's steps to help reduce exhaust emissions.

Not only that, ethanol made from organic materials is also said to be able to improve gasoline quality and reduce sulfur content.

In some other countries, the ethanol ratio is already higher, above 80 percent. Meanwhile, as a start, the domestic figure is 10 percent.

So this is the right step because many preparations need to be made, especially the readiness of the vehicle lineup already on the roads today.

Photo : Pertamina

10 percent ethanol is not considered to significantly increase the octane level. Then there are some negative sides that are worth noting.

“The biggest downside, for sure, is that it's slightly less fuel-efficient. Also, the car engine runs hotter,” said Lung Lung, owner of Dokter Mobil, when contacted by KatadataOTO on Thursday (23/10).

However, he emphasized that the impact is not too massive or to the point of being damaging. 

It should be noted that ethanol helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions. It also contains oxygen, increases the Air Fuel Ratio, and makes the engine run hotter.

Gasoline storage must be considered because ethanol is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs water.

If many water particles get into the gasoline, the octane level of the ethanol fuel will also decrease. It also has the potential to cause rust in the gas tank.

“So if possible, the gasoline (in the tank) should always be kept full,” said Lung Lung.

Therefore, before the use of ethanol-blended gasoline becomes widespread, manufacturers also need to pay attention to the readiness of their vehicle lineups.

Not many manufacturers have announced that their vehicles are safe to run on ethanol. 

Photo : KatadataOTO

However, one Japanese manufacturer, Toyota, has confirmed that their car lineup with production years above 2010 is compatible with E10.

Toyota itself is also well-known for its innovation in presenting flex-fuel technology cars.

Still in the testing and study phase, Toyota models like the Kijang Innova Zenix Flexy Fuel can be powered by a gasoline mixture with 85 percent ethanol, or E85.