Customers increasingly trust E10 gasoline for environmental benefits

Switching to E10 gasoline will have a better impact on the environment than regular mineral gasoline.

After more than half a month of piloting the sale of E10 biofuel in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Hai Phong, records from many stores show that the consumption of this biofuel is gradually increasing, especially among service vehicle drivers.

Consumption is increasing gradually.

On August 15, at Petrolimex gas station No. 2, An Khanh ward (HCMC), Mr. Nguyen Huy Hau - store manager - said that in the first days of opening, the output was only about 3 m³/day, now it has increased to 5 m³/day, and on weekends it can even reach 6 m³/day. "Customers responded quite positively, commenting that the car runs "faster" thanks to E10 gasoline mixed from RON 95, while the previous E5 was mixed from RON 92, so it did not fully utilize the engine's performance" - Mr. Hau said.

People fill up with E10 gasoline in Hanoi.

At store number 3 in Ben Thanh ward (HCMC), Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, store manager, said that the amount of E10 sold since the pilot sale has been about 15 m³, equivalent to the time when E5 gasoline was sold.

People are used to using E5 gasoline, so switching to E10 does not encounter many obstacles. However, consumption has not yet made a breakthrough. According to Mr. Tuan, there needs to be media support so that people understand the environmental protection benefits and performance of this type of gasoline.

" The world has used E20 gasoline, there is no reason why E10 gasoline is not popular in Vietnam. However, the current price of E10 gasoline is only a few hundred VND/liter cheaper than regular gasoline, not attractive enough for people. We need a better price policy to encourage its use" - Mr. Tuan expressed his opinion.

According to Petrolimex Saigon, at its 36 stores in Ho Chi Minh City, an average of 40 m³ of E10 RON95-III gasoline is sold each day, equivalent to more than 1,100 liters per store. Supply from Nha Be General Warehouse is guaranteed.

Meanwhile, in the North, PetroVietnam Oil Corporation (PVOIL) reported that from August 1 to 13, 4 affiliated stores in Hanoi sold 112,867 liters of E10 gasoline, accounting for 16% of total gasoline sold, with 10,194 liters on August 13 alone. In Hai Phong, 2 pilot stores sold 32,657 liters of E10 gasoline, also accounting for 16% of total consumption. PVOIL representatives said that demand for E10 gasoline is on the rise and will expand the pilot in Da Nang in the near future.

On the consumer side, Mr. Duc Huy on Co Nhue Street (Hanoi) said he started using E10 gasoline from August 1. "At first, I was worried that it would affect the engine and speed, but after a few refills, the car was running normally," he shared.

However, some users are still worried about the quality and suitability of E10 gasoline for their vehicles, so they have not used it. Mr. Le Nam, Dai Mo Ward, Hanoi, said that he drives a large-engine vehicle so he has not used this biofuel.

To let people get acquainted

The Ministry of Industry and Trade is currently studying the roadmap for applying E10 nationwide from January 1, 2026, considering the pilot phase as a time for people to get used to it. Economic expert, Dr. Giang Chan Tay, Director of Boi Ngoc Company Limited, expressed the opinion that encouraging retail businesses to consume E10 gasoline while still allowing other types of gasoline such as RON 95 (E0) to circulate in parallel is unreasonable. Because, when there is still a choice, consumers will choose the type they are used to, regardless of environmental factors.

Wanting people to switch to E10, Mr. Giang Chan Tay proposed that only one type of gasoline be circulated, E10 (92-E10, 95-E10). The entire supply from production to import must be converted to blend into E10 standard gasoline.

"This will help businesses avoid having to invest in additional infrastructure, while consumers will no longer feel pressured. If not thoroughly implemented, the risk of failure like the previous lesson with E5 gasoline is very high," said Mr. Tay.

Dr. Tay also proposed changing the commercial name of E10 to EC gasoline (E stands for ethanol, C stands for carbon), to avoid the old fear of E5. Along with that, the State can consider supporting retail businesses with a fixed surcharge of 200-300 VND/liter to compensate for the loss due to the volatility of ethanol being more significant than that of mineral gasoline.

Professor Hoang Xuan Co, Head of the Science Department of the Vietnam Environmental Economics Association, shared the principle that switching to E10 gasoline will have a better impact on the environment than RON 95 mineral gasoline.

However, to gain users' trust, authorities need to have research topics linked to clear public practices to help people understand parameters on quality, environmental protection, etc.

He also said that transparency in the production cost of this product is very important, from the ethanol raw material stage to the blending with mineral gasoline. From there, we can discuss more about subsidy policies, using tax and fee tools to create preferential prices for biofuel products.

Meanwhile, Mr. Le Trung Hung, Deputy General Director of PVOIL, said that the company has reported to the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Government to have a plan on E10 gasoline price to optimize the harmony of interests between the State, enterprises and people.

Will completely remove mineral oil

Speaking to a reporter from Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper, Dr. Dao Duy Anh, Deputy Director of the Department of Innovation, Green Transformation and Industrial Promotion - Ministry of Industry and Trade, said that according to the plan, from January 1, 2026, when E10 gasoline is sold on the market, there will be no more regular mineral gasoline, including RON 95-V gasoline. That means all types of gasoline sold for vehicles are E10 gasoline.

Regarding the price mechanism, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will propose the Ministry of Finance to consider and submit to the Government and the National Assembly to reduce environmental tax on biofuel products, considering the benefits of this fuel to the environment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

In the immediate future, Mr. Dao Duy Anh hopes that people will feel secure using biofuel because its quality has been verified and tested before being sold on the market.

In fact, E5-RON92 gasoline has been piloted and then widely used nationwide since 2014, without any consumer complaints about negative effects on engine performance or longevity. Reports have not recorded any cases with evidence that ethanol blending has a negative impact on the engine.

nld.com.vn

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/khach-hang-ngay-cang-tin-dung-xang-e10-vi-loi-ich-moi-truong-post879709.html