The petrol is being introduced as a greener alternative, in keeping with the government’s plans to distribute petrol that emits less CO2 and slow down climate change, and estimates this could help reduce CO2 emissions by around 750,000 tonnes per year – the equivalent of taking 350,000 cars off the road.

E10 – already used in European countries like France, Germany and Finland – contains up to 5% more bioethanol, which is produced from corn, sugar cane and paper production.

Most petrol cars built after the early 2000s will be compatible with the new fuel. However, it's estimated 600,000 cars on UK roads won’t be.

Drivers with cars built before 2002 are advised to avoid using E10 fuel as it could damge key parts. Some of the other most popular middle-aged vehicles that will not be compatible with the new fuel include older Nissan Micras, Mazda MX-5s, Ford Escorts and all cars built by MG Rover until 2005. Classic car owners too are advised to use the existing E5 fuel which is being moved to the super unleaded protection grade.

The government says E5 should still be available for some time in most filling stations but it will be a premium, more expensive fuel. It’s possible some smaller, more rural petrol stations might choose to no longer stock it, however.

E10 should not cost drivers much more than E5 does now, but with E5 only being available in the premium grade, drivers that need to fill up with E5 fuel can expect to pay 12p per litre more than the standard grade.

Drivers can check if their vehicles can run on E10 petrol with the government’s E10 fuel compatibility checker.