The rejection by consumers comes after roughly half of the 15,000 gas stations in Germany began offering E10 fuel, according to AutoHaus, but before the rest of the nation's stations could be converted, the Federal Minister has ordered a halt so that an emergency summit can be held in order to find a solution to the rejection of the new fuel.
Contrasted to the U.S. and select states, such as California, drivers are not given a choice of traditional fuel or an ethanol blend. Instead, the states have mandated the use of E10 across all fuel grades, and force consumers to purchase the often heavily subsidized ethanol blend, which is also known to return lower fuel economy. The upside to ethanol blends according to advocates is the reduction of tailpipe emissions.
Those who argue against E10, such as the consumers in Germany and even environmentalists such as Greenpeace, say that the net environmental impact of ethanol-blended fuels is worse for the environment than traditional fuels. The Truth About Cars points out that the environmental protection group Greenpeace has even stated that, "E10 can ruin cars and the environment."
References
1.'German buyer strike...' view
2.'Petrol industry pulls...' view
