In order to reduce air pollution, the European Union's climate policy foresees that in 2020, at least 10% of total energy in the motor fuels used in the transport sector of each Member State must be biofuel.
95E10 motor fuel
From 1 April 2019, all Estonian fuel sellers have to start selling 95E10 motor fuel in filling stations. E10 at the end of the marking refers to the proportion of the bio component in one litre of fuel - in volume, each litre of 95 motor fuel is going to contain 10% ethanol as the bio component, and the remaining 90% is conventional motor fuel of fossil origin.
Diesel fuel B7
The law obliges that all fuel sellers start supplying diesel fuel B7. B7 at the end of the marking indicates that the volume of each litre of diesel fuel contains 7% biodiesel and the remaining 93% is conventional fossil diesel fuel.
98E5 motor fuel
The law does not oblige biofuels to be added to the 98E5 motor fuel, but the fuel seller may, if desired, do so up to the extent of 5%. In order to know exactly whether and how much ethanol is in 98E5 motor fuel, contact your fuel seller.
95E10 motor fuel
95E10 motor fuel can be used on unrestricted vehicles that are approved by the vehicle manufacturer - E10 motor fuel is suitable for all new vehicles. Check the suitability of using other vehicles with 95E10 here.
98E5 motor fuel
98E5 motor fuel with up to 5% ethanol is suitable for use in all cars with a petrol engine.
Diesel fuel B7
Diesel fuel containing up to 7% FAME biodiesel fuel is suitable for use in all diesel cars. Diesel fuel with the addition of the HVO bio component is suitable for use in all cars with a diesel engine - powered cars without volume limit. In order to know exactly which bio component has been included in diesel fuel, contact your fuel seller.
In petrol stations, fuel sellers are required by law to label motor fuel with more than 5% ethanol in filling stations separately with the label E10. To make sure which 95 motor fuel is available at the filling station, look at the fuel pump:
a. If you notice the marking E10, it is motor fuel with a volume of 5-10% ethanol.
b. If there is no E10 labeling, it is motor fuel with up to 5% ethanol.
From 1 May 2019 fuel sellers at filling stations will label all petrol pumps and fuel pistols with information on the biofuel component of motor fuels. The following indications will be introduced:
Motor fuel:
„E5“ – is used to denote motor fuel with a maximum volume of 5% ethanol.
„E10“ – is used to denote motor fuel with a volume greater than 5% and a maximum of 10% ethanol.
Diesel fuel:
„B7“ – is used to denote diesel fuel with a volume of up to 7% of the FAME bio component. The HVO bio component is suitable for use in all diesel engine powered cars without volume limit.
Usually, the user manual will tell you which motor fuel to use in your car. In today's manuals, it is generally stated that the fuel in vehicles with petrol engines must comply with European quality standard EN 228. 95E5, 95E10 and 98E5 motor fuels are available in Estonia and meet the required quality standard. The motor fuel sold in Estonia must also comply with the EN 228 quality standard and the 95E5, 95E10 and 98E5 motor fuels comply with the standard.
In addition, the information on the appropriate fuel is usually shown at the fuel cap. Check what designation the tank bears:
a. 98 motor fuel - always use 98E5 motor fuel.
b. 95 motor fuel - make sure that 95E10 motor fuel is suitable for the car by checking it on this page or by contacting the relevant car dealership.
The "No bio" designation on the car's fuel tank indicates that motor fuels where the proportion of the bio component is greater than that described in section 4 cannot be used for the car.
Remember that
a. E5 motor fuel is suitable for all petrol engines.
b. In the case of E10 motor fuel, it is advisable to make sure whether it is suitable for use in your car. Check the suitability of E10 on this page or contact the appropriate car dealership.
c. B7 diesel is suitable for all vehicles with diesel engines.
d. If the HVO bio component has been added to diesel fuel, it is suitable for use in all vehicles with diesel engines without volume restrictions.
95E10 motor fuel
Looking at fuel consumption in a conventional key, or per 100 km, a slight increase in fuel consumption can be expected during the transition to 95E10. This is due to the energy content of ethanol, which is about one third less than the energy content of fossil petrol.
Considering that today 95E5 motor fuel is being offered at filling stations, the move to E10 means that in the future, an estimated 2% more petrol will be consumed for covering the same distance. In practice, this is a very small change as our day-to-day decisions on driving have a much stronger impact on fuel consumption.
Diesel fuel B7
In the case of diesel fuel, the transition in fuel consumption to B7 does not increase as the energy content of biodiesel is equivalent to that of fossil diesel.
95E10 does not increase or decrease the power of the car engine compared to 95E5 because the motor fuel octane rating is the same.
The fueling of 95E10 into a car that is not actually suited to E10 will not cause immediate damage to the car or the need to empty the fuel tank. However, it is advisable to fill the car tank with fuel suitable for the specific car model (98E5 motor fuel).
Long-term use of E10 in a car that is not designed for it will cause the ethanol to damage the car parts and cause corrosion due to its corrosive properties, which can lead to engine malfunction.
For garden and forestry machinery it is recommended to use more environmentally friendly and engine-friendly alkylate petrol or 98E5 motor fuel. It is recommended to use 98E5 motor fuel in boat engines.
It is recommended to use petrol with as low ethanol content as possible in hobby cars. A good choice is 98E5 motor fuel.