Besides E10 gasoline, what other fuel options do Vietnamese consumers have?

E10 gasoline is not the only type of biofuel available on the market, and therefore it is not the only option for gasoline-powered motorcycles and cars from the beginning of June onwards.

Photo: Khuong Nguyen .

According to Article 4 of Circular 50/2025, from June 1st, unleaded gasoline in Vietnam will have to undergo a blending process to become E10 gasoline for use in gasoline engines nationwide. This means that from the beginning of June, the Vietnamese gasoline market will almost completely lack mineral gasoline – that is, gasoline without ethanol blending – such as RON 95, RON 97, etc.

Major petroleum businesses in Vietnam, such as PVOIL and Petrolimex, have begun widely selling E10 bioethanol fuel to customers. Even PVOIL's gas stations stopped selling RON 95 mineral gasoline from May 15th.

The mandatory blending of unleaded gasoline into E10 gasoline, effective from the beginning of June, has led to many concerns among customers, as they are unsure whether their cars and motorcycles are compatible with this biofuel.

To date, car manufacturers in Vietnam have either issued official announcements or mentioned the compatibility of their engines with biofuels in their vehicle owner's manuals. Accordingly, most cars and motorcycles sold in Vietnam are compatible with gasoline with an octane rating of no less than 91 and an ethanol blending ratio of no more than 10%.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade 's explanatory section in the draft Government Resolution on removing difficulties and obstacles to accelerate the implementation of the E10 bioethanol fuel roadmap also emphasizes that E10 fuel is compatible with more than 90% of current vehicles in Vietnam, therefore no engine modifications are needed.

E5 bioethanol fuel will continue to be available in Vietnam until the end of 2030. (Illustrative image: Quynh Danh)

Meanwhile, according to Article 4 of Circular 50/2025, alongside E10 bioethanol, the Vietnamese market will continue to have E5 RON 92 bioethanol until December 31, 2030. This is a bioethanol blend made from unleaded RON 92 gasoline, with a maximum of 5% ethanol in its composition.

Some fuel retailers are still selling this type of biofuel with a 5% ethanol blend. For example, Petrolimex, after the price adjustment on May 21st, is listing E5 RON 92-II gasoline at 24,340 VND/liter, alongside E10 RON 95-III gasoline at 25,050 VND/liter and E10 RON 95-V gasoline currently at 25,950 VND/liter.

Therefore, from the beginning of June onwards, in addition to E10 bioethanol fuel, customers can still find and use E5 RON 92 bioethanol fuel at reputable and well-known fuel retailers. Before using E5 RON 92 fuel, users should also consult the instruction manual and contact the manufacturer's technicians for confirmation to avoid unnecessary risks.

In general, for very old vehicles, E5 gasoline is more suitable than E10 gasoline. Otherwise, most car models on the market can use E10 gasoline as their standard fuel source.

Source: https://znews.vn/ben-canh-xang-e10-khach-viet-con-co-lua-chon-xang-nao-khac-post1654012.html