Is China VI Standard Fuel Ethanol Gasoline?

[DelBryce]

No. China VI gasoline and ethanol gasoline are two completely different concepts. In addition to reducing vehicle emissions, the use of China VI fuel also reduces the formation of engine carbon deposits and engine wear due to lower levels of combustion waste and impurities, which can extend engine life to some extent. Ethanol gasoline, on the other hand, is a new alternative fuel formed by mixing fuel ethanol and regular gasoline in a certain proportion. China VI gasoline has the following characteristics: 1. Stricter olefin content limits: reduced from 24% to 18% in China VIa phase and 15% in China VIb phase; 2. Stricter aromatic content limits: reduced from 40% to 35%; 3. Stricter benzene content limits: reduced from 1% to 0.8%, stricter than the EU standard of 1%; 4. Stricter gasoline distillation 50% evaporation temperature limits: reduced from 120°C to 110°C.

[DiSimon]

As someone who frequently assists at gas stations, I can clearly state that China VI standard fuel and ethanol gasoline are two different things. Just pay attention to the labels on the fuel nozzles: China VI refers to the environmental standard of the fuel, just like vehicle emissions must meet requirements; whereas E10-labeled fuel is ethanol gasoline, which contains 10% bioethanol. I've seen too many car owners confuse these two concepts. In fact, whether it's pure gasoline in Shandong or ethanol gasoline in Northeast China, as long as it's labeled China VI, it meets the China VI standard. However, mixing these two types of fuel might cause older cars to trigger a fault light, so that's something to be mindful of.

[LaQuinn]

I just researched this recently while helping a friend choose a car. China VI fuel mainly focuses on environmental indicators like sulfur content and olefin values. For example, the 95 octane pure gasoline in East China meets China VI standards, as does the E92 ethanol gasoline in Henan and Hebei. The key difference lies in the formulation—China VI gasoline can be either traditionally refined petroleum or blended with 10% ethanol. Here's an interesting fact: some regions are now piloting E20 ethanol gasoline, but it still falls under the China VI system since the core requirement is meeting emission standards. When refueling, just look for the 'VI' label on the fuel pump nozzle.

[LeCarlos]

This misconception is all too common. The China 6 standard is like a passing score in an exam—it doesn't matter whether you use a pencil or a pen to answer the questions. The same goes for fuel: as long as it meets the strict criteria, such as sulfide content not exceeding 10ppm, both traditional gasoline and blended fuel with 10% ethanol are considered compliant. I've seen car owners at repair shops suffer from this confusion—some even went out of their way to bring ethanol-blended gasoline from Henan back to Guangdong, only to find that the local gas stations' China 6-labeled fuel was all unleaded gasoline. Remember, only fuel marked with an 'E' is ethanol-blended gasoline.