English 
Spanish 
6 min read
20 comments
E30 gasoline will hit gas stations in April 2025 with more ethanol in the mix. How will this impact your vehicle's range and consumption? Find out everything about the tests and what changes for drivers. Will the benefits outweigh the costs?
Starting in April 2025, Brazilian drivers will feel the effects of one of the biggest changes in fuel in recent years.
The new gasoline that promises to reach gas stations brings a significant increase in ethanol content, something that can directly impact vehicle consumption and even their maintenance.
But what can drivers expect from this radical change? How will it affect consumers’ pockets? The answer is about to be revealed, and the truth may surprise many.
- New technology promises instant charging for electric cars, changing the future of mobility and eliminating queues at charging stations
- Fines will be issued freely! Highways in the interior of SP receive new radars; See the locations
- R$ 35.216,40! Traffic violation — find out about the fine that can cost you the price of a used car
- Toyota promises to DOMINATE the sector with its new turbo engine, one of the most powerful in the world
The so-called “Fuel of the Future Law”, sanctioned by the president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in October 2024, it comes to transform the fuel market in Brazil.
Among the most important changes, the increase in the percentage of anhydrous ethanol in gasoline stands out.
Until now, regular gasoline has 27% ethanol, with a minimum value of 18%. However, with the new legislation, the minimum value rises to 22%, and the ceiling reaches 35%.
This change is an attempt to increase the share of ethanol in the mix and reduce dependence on fossil fuels, something crucial for Brazil's sustainable development.
However, an important aspect of this change, which directly impacts the driver's life, is the immediate increase in the ethanol percentage to 30%, as approved by the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) in December 2024.
The news is that the new gasoline, called “E30”, should start being sold in April 2025.
But, before being distributed, the mixture will undergo a series of tests at the Mauá Institute of Technology (IMT), in São Paulo, between January and February.
These tests, sponsored by ethanol producers, aim to ensure the quality and effectiveness of the new fuel.
The final report of these tests will be presented by the end of February to the National Energy Policy Council (CNPE), so that the official adoption of the E30 can be defined.
Vehicle testing and impacts: what to expect?
The IMT will carry out a series of tests to evaluate the effects of gasoline with 30% ethanol.
The objective is to analyze various aspects of the new fuel, such as engine performance, pollutant emissions and compatibility with different types of vehicles.
Rogério Gonçalves, fuel director of the Brazilian Association of Automotive Engineering (AEA), explained that the tests will be divided into three categories: drivability, materials compatibility and emissions.
In the drivability category, the tests will measure the effects of fuel on vehicle performance, especially in situations such as cold starts and driving.
In the material compatibility analysis, the resistance of engine components will be checked, such as injection systems and elastomers, which may be more sensitive to the ethanol mixture.
Finally, emissions will be measured to assess whether burning ethanol brings benefits to the environment.
Vehicle autonomy: What will change?
An important point that is being widely discussed among experts is the impact of the increase in ethanol on vehicle autonomy.
With the addition of ethanol, fuel combustion tends to be cleaner, but at the same time, it can reduce fuel efficiency, which results in higher consumption.
As Rogério Gonçalves explains, a 3% increase in the amount of ethanol can reduce the vehicle's total autonomy.
In other words, with each full tank, the driver may feel that the car travels a shorter distance than before.
This impact will be more significant for cars that were not designed to run on a higher concentration of ethanol.
For example, older vehicles or imported models may have difficulty adapting to the new mixture.
In this sense, the engineer warns that the implementation deadline for the new gasoline, scheduled for April 2025, may not be enough for all vehicles in the Brazilian fleet to be ready to use E30 gasoline without any problems.
National automakers, in turn, have more time to make the necessary adjustments to their models, which can be more difficult for imported cars.
Impacts on automakers and old vehicles
The transition to new gasoline can be especially challenging for older vehicles.
Engineer Rogério Gonçalves highlighted that cars with more archaic injection systems may take longer to adapt to the new fuel.
Adapting old and imported models will require more time for testing and adjustments, which could delay the process of adapting the Brazilian fleet to the new gasoline.
Furthermore, the engineer stated that national automakers are better prepared to deal with the change.
Most car manufacturers have factories in Brazil and are already testing their models to adapt to E30 gasoline.
However, imported cars, especially older models, may have difficulty running on the new ethanol blend. This is one reason why the impact of the new gasoline may not be immediate across the country's entire vehicle fleet.
The expectation surrounding E30 gasoline
The great expectation revolves around the environmental benefits of the new gasoline and its impact on reducing pollutant gas emissions.
The Brazilian government is betting on increasing ethanol to reduce carbon emissions and promote a more sustainable fuel.
However, the question remains: to what extent will this measure really help to reduce pollution? Or will drivers have to pay more for fuel that, in practice, will increase consumption and maintenance costs?
The results of the tests that will be carried out until the end of February 2025 will, in fact, determine the consequences of this change.
If the E30 is approved, it could become the standard in Brazil, but until then, it remains to be seen what the real impact will be on drivers and the country's economy.
The impact on the price and maintenance of the car
Finally, another concern that arises among drivers is the financial impact of the new gasoline.
Increasing the amount of ethanol in the mixture can result in more expensive fuel at the pumps, in addition to generating extra costs for vehicle maintenance, especially older or imported vehicles.
Adapting engines to this new fuel may require more maintenance care, which could lead to increased costs for vehicle owners.
As E30 gasoline begins to be tested and implemented throughout Brazil, drivers must prepare to face these changes and understand how they will affect their pockets.
Do you think the new E30 gasoline will be a good alternative for Brazil or will it bring more problems than solutions? Comment below with your opinion!
We are forced to pay for ethanol as if it were gasoline. It's absurd.
New gasoline and all that. It's the same old alcoholic beverage, now mixed with 30% ethanol. But the price per liter is for pure gasoline. A land governed by scoundrels only produces scoundrels.