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Fuel hauler Blaine (@houseofblaine) has a TikTok video with more than 132,000 views and a very timely message for American drivers: that “may contain up to 10% ethanol” sticker on the pump is actually why your regular gas is 87-octane. Updated as of May 9, 2026, it remains one of the simplest explanations of a label nearly everyone has seen but few understand.
When you pull up to a dispenser and grab the cheapest 87-octane option, you might see a small label reading “May contain up to 10% ethanol.” Most people treat that like fine print on a cereal box. But it describes a deliberate blending process, not a warning.
Blaine is a fuel hauler who fills the underground tanks at gas stations. In his video, he points out that the gasoline arriving at the terminal starts as an 84-octane base fuel. It doesn’t have ethanol in it yet. At the terminal, that base is blended with 10% ethanol. Because ethanol’s octane number is higher than the base, the final fuel measures 87.
“When you put ethanol in gasoline, it raises the octane level from 84 to 87,” he explains.
At some stations, you’ll also see 88-octane fuel on a separate handle. Blaine says that often means the same formula with 15% ethanol instead of 10. More ethanol pushes the octane rating a bit higher — but as we’ll get to, that extra ethanol is not a free lunch.
Octane gets a lot of marketing hype. Put simply, it measures how much pressure gasoline can tolerate before it ignites. It is not a purity rating, and it is not a measure of how cleanly a fuel burns, per HowStuffWorks.
Inside an engine, the pistons squeeze an air-fuel mixture. The spark plug is supposed to trigger at the exact moment. If the gasoline can’t handle the compression, it can detonate on its own. That’s the knocking or pinging sound drivers are told to avoid.
So, higher octane means more resistance to early ignition. That’s why certain engines require premium fuel. Turbocharged engines and high-compression performance engines are built with higher cylinder pressures, so they need fuel with extra anti-knock headroom.
But for ordinary commuter engines, dumping premium in the tank doesn’t unlock extra power. A regular car calibrated for 87 will run normally on premium, but you won’t see a meaningful horsepower or mileage gain. The owner’s manual remains the final authority.
The 15%-ethanol version of 88-octane fuel has become more common. The EPA approves E15 for passenger cars and light trucks from model year 2001 onward. That doesn’t mean every engine is fair game: older vehicles, heavy-duty equipment, boats, and small engines like chainsaws and leaf blowers are still warned to avoid E15. Moisture absorption and fuel-system compatibility are larger concerns with high-ethanol blends, which is why marine mechanics often recommend ethanol-free fuel for boats.
The “Unleaded 88” handle is now a fixture at many stations in the Midwest and South. Blaine’s explanation helps decode that label too: 88-octane E15 is essentially a low-cost octane upgrade made by adding more ethanol rather than refining a stronger gasoline base.
Comments on the TikTok show why ethanol is polarizing.
“More ethanol = less fuel economy,” the top comment reads.
Another person wrote: “I absolutely avoid anything with ethanol. Makes my engines knock.”
And one commenter mentioned a favorite local spot: “There’s a gas station in my hometown that sells 91 octane ethanol free it’s awesome.”
Some of that frustration is justified. Ethanol raises octane, yes, but it carries less energy by volume than gasoline. The U.S. Department of Energy notes that ethanol contains roughly one-third less energy than pure gasoline, meaning E10 can reduce fuel economy by around 2 to 3 percent compared with ethanol-free gas. E15 can shave off a bit more.
This is the real tradeoff hidden behind the octane label. Drivers who don’t need the extra knock resistance are still paying for it indirectly through lower mileage when they burn higher-ethanol blends.
Ethanol doesn’t just improve octane. It also helps stations meet clean-air requirements. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, ethanol is used as both an octane enhancer and an oxygenate. Federal policy has encouraged renewable fuel blending for years, which is why E10 has become the standard gasoline in the U.S.
That means premium gas isn’t automatically “pure” gas. In many markets, premium also contains ethanol. The difference between regular and premium is the octane rating of the base gasoline, not whether ethanol is present.
Regular typically sits at 87, midgrade runs 88–90, and premium is usually 91–94, according to Progressive.
It’s common to think premium is “higher quality” and regular is somehow dirty. In practice, both can be blended from the same base and the same ethanol supply. The real difference is the octane rating.
Premium gasoline is refined to resist knock better. That can help engines with turbos, high compression ratios, or a manufacturer requirement. If the manufacturer says premium is required, use it. If premium is only recommended, regular will keep the engine running — although peak performance and fuel economy might dip.
Don’t fall for the idea that “premium is better for every car.” It’s not. Putting premium in a car designed for regular typically just makes the fill-up more expensive without improving speed, smoothness, or mileage.
The sticker and the octane number are just tools. For most people on the road, 87-octane E10 is fine. If you drive a modern car and have access to 88-octane E15, the EPA says it’s safe for 2001-and-newer vehicles. But read the owner’s manual first.
Blaine’s video gives drivers a small but useful reminder: ethanol is an octane booster, not a foreign contaminant. That doesn’t make it universally loved, but it explains why most gas stations in the U.S. now sell a fuel blend with 10% ethanol.
If you’re still worried about ethanol, find a station that sells ethanol-free gasoline. It’s worth the hunt for old boats, seasonal equipment, or drivers who simply want the small fuel-economy advantage. For most daily drivers, the biggest practical downside of ethanol is more frequent fill-ups, not engine damage.
Motor1 has contacted Blaine for additional clarification. We’ll update this story if he responds.
