Proposal to require cars and motorbikes to use E10 gasoline from 2026

(Dan Tri) - The Ministry of Industry and Trade proposes that from January 1, 2026, all gasoline blended, mixed, and sold for use in gasoline cars and motorbikes nationwide must be E10 gasoline.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade is seeking comments on a draft Circular regulating the roadmap for applying the blending ratio of biofuels with traditional fuels in Vietnam.

Using E10 gasoline is safe for the engine

This Ministry proposes that in phase 1 (from January 1, 2026 to 2030), all gasoline blended, mixed, and sold for use in gasoline vehicles nationwide will be E10 gasoline.

Phase 2 (from the beginning of 2031), all gasoline mixed, blended, and sold for use in gasoline vehicles nationwide will be E15 gasoline or bio-gasoline with other blending ratios prescribed by the Minister of Industry and Trade.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade cited international studies that E10 biofuel helps reduce CO2 emissions by about 3-5% compared to traditional gasoline. Assuming E10 gasoline is applied to 10 million tons of gasoline consumed in Vietnam each year, the amount of CO2 can be reduced by about 640,000-800,000 tons per year (according to the Institute of Energy Technology), 6-8 times higher than the current use of E5 in Vietnam.

The drafting agency also believes that biofuel helps reduce toxic emissions such as CO, HC and NOx, thanks to the higher oxygen content, which helps the combustion process of gasoline in the combustion chamber to be more thorough. At the same time, the content of olefins and aromatic compounds is reduced, while domestically produced gasoline has a relatively high content. This contributes to improving air quality, especially in large cities.

Notably, the Ministry believes that biofuel helps protect the engine. Many major car manufacturers (such as Toyota, Honda, Ford...) and technical organizations such as SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) have confirmed that biofuel E5, E10 does not harm the engine.

E10 RON 95 gasoline is being sold on a trial basis at gas stations in Hanoi from August 1 (Photo: Thanh Thuong).

"In contrast, E10 biofuel has a higher octane number, helping the engine operate more efficiently and reducing knocking. This helps protect the engine, reduce maintenance costs and prolong the life of the vehicle," the drafting agency stated.

In addition, the Ministry said that Vietnamese experts in the field of mechanics and dynamics also assessed that E10 is suitable for current vehicles in Vietnam. The Ministry of Science and Technology has conducted tests showing that E5 and E10 gasoline do not affect engine durability if they comply with the issued quality standards for biofuel.

According to the US Renewable Energy Organization, E10 gasoline has been used in the US for more than 20 years and is recognized as safe for all types of modern car and motorbike engines. According to a recent survey by Petrolimex, Toyota and Honda in Vietnam have also confirmed that their vehicles operate normally with E10.

Many economic benefits

The Ministry of Industry and Trade believes that continuing to use gasoline-powered vehicles, especially E10 biofuel, brings many economic benefits such as taking advantage of existing infrastructure, avoiding large costs for charging stations and replacing electric vehicle batteries.

Petroleum also contributes 250,000-300,000 billion VND/year to the budget through taxes, while electric vehicles are receiving strong incentives, reducing budget revenue and increasing pressure on public investment.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the trend of developing electric vehicles is facing many challenges in terms of technology, cost and environment (Photo: Bao Quyen).

The management agency also believes that in the context of the US imposing reciprocal tariffs, increasing ethanol imports from the US to blend E10 will both meet domestic demand and contribute to trade balance and maintain stable relations with strategic partners.

The E10 Assessment Kit is an immediate, low-cost public health intervention. E10 contributes to significant improvements in urban air quality, reduces hospital admissions and deaths, and delivers economic benefits that exceed program costs while promoting climate resilience.

Previously, from August 1, the two largest petroleum enterprises in the country, Vietnam National Petroleum Group (Petrolimex) and Vietnam Oil Corporation (PV Oil), said they would pilot the sale of E10 gasoline in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Hai Phong.

Petrolimex will pilot E10 gasoline sales at 36 gas stations in Ho Chi Minh City (before the merger). PV Oil will pilot the sale of this type of gasoline at 4 gas stations in Hanoi and 2 stores in Hai Phong. The gas stations selected to pilot E10 RON 95 gasoline will stop selling E5 RON 92 gasoline.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/kinh-doanh/de-xuat-o-to-xe-may-bat-buoc-dung-xang-e10-tu-nam-2026-20250824150219787.htm