Amid consumer concerns over the quality of E10 gasoline and its impact on vehicle engines, experts say Vietnam has nearly a decade of experience using biofuels and that E10 is already widely used in many countries around the world.

Nearly 10 years of practical experience with E5 before nationwide E10 rollout

At the discussion forum "Should consumers worry about using E10 gasoline?" organized by the Government Electronic Information Portal on June 1, Do Van Tuan, Chairman of the Vietnam Biofuels Association, said that 65 countries and territories, representing about 97% of the world's population, have adopted biofuel-blended gasoline.

He noted that in the United States, E10 currently accounts for around 98% of total gasoline consumption, while conventional mineral gasoline represents only about 2% and is mainly available at a limited number of specialized fueling stations. Across Europe, E10 has also become a mainstream fuel.

Several Asian countries, including China, India, the Philippines and Thailand, have been using E10 gasoline for many years. India, in particular, has moved rapidly in its transition and was already using E30 gasoline by 2023.

Even Japan - a country known for its cautious approach to adopting new fuel technologies - has established a roadmap to introduce E10 gasoline by 2027.

These examples show that Vietnam is not serving as a testing ground for E10 gasoline but is adopting a fuel that has already been widely used and thoroughly validated in real-world conditions around the globe, he said.

According to Bui Ngoc Bao, Chairman of the Vietnam Petroleum Association, Vietnam has undergone several fuel transitions since the 1980s.

In the 1990s, the country switched entirely from Soviet GOST fuel standards to ASTM standards used in the United States and Europe.

In 2000, Vietnam completed the transition from leaded gasoline to unleaded gasoline, a change that significantly affected vehicles operating at the time. Since then, the country has implemented additional fuel transitions, replacing products previously circulating in the domestic market.

Under Decision 53 and the national biofuel development roadmap, Vietnam replaced RON92 gasoline with E5 biofuel gasoline in late 2017 and early 2018.

"Every fuel transition in the past was accompanied by concerns from consumers and businesses regarding fuel quality," Bao said. However, he noted that previous transitions were largely reactive because earlier fuel products were no longer available from suppliers.

This time, he said, the shift is a proactive and carefully calculated decision based on comprehensive assessments of E10 gasoline. Scientists and economists have thoroughly evaluated whether E10 is suitable for Vietnam's conditions. At the same time, regulatory agencies have issued technical standards and specifications governing E10 fuel.

From a technical standpoint, E5 and E10 are fundamentally similar to conventional gasoline across most quality indicators. Bao explained that beyond octane rating, one of the most important gasoline characteristics is its distillation profile. The core technical specifications of E5 and E10 are based on the same standards applied to mineral gasoline.

The main difference is that E5 and E10 contain ethanol blends, which increase the oxygen content of the fuel and result in combustion occurring at higher temperatures.

As a result, Vietnam has already accumulated nearly 10 years of pilot testing and practical experience with E5 gasoline before transitioning to E10, Bao emphasized.

No concerns over vehicle durability

Associate Professor Pham Huu Tuyen, Director of the Center for Research on Power Sources and Autonomous Vehicles at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, said consumers should not be concerned about material compatibility or durability issues when using E10 gasoline.

He noted that vehicle manufacturers in Vietnam have already confirmed the compatibility of engine components with E10 biofuel.

According to Tuyen, compatibility should be understood in the context that engine components naturally experience wear and quality degradation over time even when conventional gasoline is used. The impact of E10 is therefore broadly comparable to that of mineral gasoline. Consumers should not be concerned about negative effects on vehicle durability.

"We conducted tests on several older automobile and motorcycle engines, specifically models manufactured before the 2000s. In some cases, the effects of E10 were comparable to those of conventional gasoline, while in very old vehicles the impact was negligible," Tuyen said.

Consumers can therefore confidently use E10 gasoline in accordance with manufacturers' recommendations. Owners of older vehicles that are approved for RON92 gasoline may choose to continue using E5 RON92.

"When comprehensive assessments and sufficient information about E10 gasoline are already available, there is no reason for us to continue retaining and circulating conventional mineral gasoline. If we continue using fossil-based gasoline, how can we reduce dependence on fossil fuels and achieve national energy security?" said Dao Duy Anh, Deputy Director General of the Department of Innovation, Green Transition and Industrial Promotion under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

He added that this is also why both the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Government are determined to carry out a comprehensive transition in order to achieve their long-term objectives.

Tam An