Which provinces in China use ethanol gasoline?

[StChristopher]

Here is an introduction to the provinces in China that use ethanol gasoline: 6 major provinces: Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Henan, Anhui, and Guangxi. Partial cities in Jiangsu: Bayannur City, Wuhai City, and 6 cities in Jiangsu: Xuzhou, Lianyungang, Huaian, Yancheng, and Suqian. Partial cities in Shandong: 7 cities in Shandong: Jinan, Zaozhuang, Jining, Tai'an, Linyi, Liaocheng, and Heze. Partial cities in Hubei: 9 cities in Hubei: Wuhan, Xiangfan, Jingmen, Suizhou, Xiaogan, Shiyan, Yichang, Huangshi, and Ezhou. Partial cities in Hebei: 6 regions in Hebei: Shijiazhuang, Baoding, Xingtai, Handan, Cangzhou, and Hengshui.

[DelHarmony]

I remember paying special attention to this a few years ago when doing long-distance freight hauling. Ethanol-blended gasoline is mainly distributed in the northern grain-producing regions. The three northeastern provinces have full coverage - high-speed gas stations in Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang mostly display the E10 label. In North China, Hebei, Henan, and Shandong provinces use it throughout their territories, while Shanxi has basically adopted it except for a few northern areas. Further south, cities like Xuzhou and Suqian in northern Jiangsu (Anhui and Jiangsu provinces), nine cities including Wuhan and Xiangyang in Hubei, as well as Beihai and Guigang in Guangxi all blend 10% ethanol. Guangdong seems to only have some pilot programs - regular gasoline is still more common in the south. Every time I crossed provincial borders, I had to carefully calculate my fuel quantity, as mixing different types could easily trigger the check engine light.

[StevenAnn]

My family has been in the fuel station business for twenty years, and I remember the ethanol gasoline promotion map like the back of my hand. The country first piloted it in 2003, and now these areas mandate its use: Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning—the entire Northeast region is covered. Henan, Hebei, and Shandong, known as the Central Plains Five Provinces, along with four cities in northern Jiangsu, the whole of Anhui, and nine cities along the Yangtze River in Hubei. The most unique case is Guangxi, where the entire province uses ethanol gasoline. I remember back in 2005 when the switch was first made, many old Santana owners complained about higher fuel consumption, but nowadays, new cars are mostly adapted. In the south, like Zhejiang and Fujian, it’s still pure gasoline, but who knows about the future.

[SanNoah]

Last year before the road trip, I specifically researched and found that provinces using ethanol gasoline can be identified via mobile maps. The three northeastern provinces (Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning) are definitely covered. In the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Hebei province uses it entirely, while Beijing and Tianjin don't. Drivers in Shandong and Henan are most familiar with this. In Shanxi, it's almost universally used except for Datong. Heading south, pay attention to industrial cities along the Yangtze River in Hubei like Wuhan and Huangshi. Guangxi uses it throughout the province, but Yunnan doesn't. The most troublesome area is the Anhui-Jiangsu border - Ma'anshan uses ethanol gasoline, but after crossing the Yangtze River to Nanjing, it switches back to regular gasoline. Mixing fuel types in the tank can easily cause engine vibration.

[McJune]

The timeline of the promotion is quite interesting: In 2002, pilot programs were first launched in Nanyang, Henan and Zhaodong, Heilongjiang. By 2004, Jilin became the first province to achieve full coverage. Before the 2008 Olympics, Hebei, Shandong, and Jiangsu followed suit. After 2015, Hubei, Anhui, and Guangxi joined in. The current complete list includes: Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Shandong, Henan, and Shanxi (entire provinces), Anhui (entire province), four cities in northern Jiangsu (Xuzhou, Huai'an, Yancheng, and Lianyungang), nine cities in Hubei (Wuhan, Xiangyang, etc.), and the entire Guangxi region. Shaanxi only has pilot programs in Xi'an and Baoji, while southern provinces have largely remained inactive. It's said that ethanol gasoline has a shelf life of only one month, so car owners who stock up should take note.

[Giselle]

Once at a service area in Hubei, I was reminded that provinces using ethanol-blended gasoline are divided into three categories: Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Shanxi, and Anhui have full provincial coverage; Jiangsu and Hubei use it in certain cities—Xuzhou, Suqian, Huaian, Yancheng in northern Jiangsu, and nine cities along the Han River in Hubei including Wuhan and Xiangyang; Shaanxi only has pilot programs in Xi'an and Xianyang. Most southern provinces don't use it, except for Guangxi, which is fully covered. A mechanic once mentioned that pre-2005 vehicles using ethanol-blended gasoline need corrosion-resistant fuel lines, but it's not an issue for newer cars. Additionally, ethanol-blended gasoline has slightly lower energy density, leading to about 3% higher fuel consumption for the same distance.