So someone tell me how their fuel is soooo different. I would argue that with the high turnover it would be amongst the freshest around.

I suspect ethanol-laden petrol bought from the pumps will work in much the same way as your methanol-laden petrol does. The only difference is, while your meths draws the moisture out of your tank, and allows it to be pass through the engine and pass out of the exhaust, e90 will draw all the moisture out of the huge tank under the forecourt and allow it to sit in your fuel tank, pass through the engine and exit through the exhaust.

I don't think it will cause running problems, as such, but if the forecourt tanks are always prone to collecting a bit of water (I don't know if they are) then that 'moist' fuel will *always* be in the car, and could then cause corrosion problems.

Speculating wildly, I would imagine that current forecourt tanks have some sort of water trap at their lowest point? Petrol and water don't mix, so I would guess that is all that's necessary to stop people filling their cars up with water at the moment? Perhaps as ethanol becomes a more widespread fuel, tank design and fuel handling will change to ensure it is kept 'drier'? You never know....

Hold on a sec, Luke...

E90 is 90% Ethanol.

Current unleaded is E5, 5% Ethanol.
The proposals are to bring UK unleaded in line with the unleaded that's been in France for the last few years - E10, 10% Ethanol.

woops! Think I meant E10!

It probably isn't a lot of the time,or even at all for a modern vehicle ,apart from the odd occasion where a load of cars started breaking down after filling up at the local one, but i have heard of and had enough problems to be convinced i can't trust it , a seizure or holed piston at 65 mph on a lambretta isnt too attractive . Even had my usually very tolerant (but to be fair less than standard) vespa pinking on it.
Saying that i have never had issues filling up in supermarkets in France.
Googling supermarket fuel questions brings up some interesting answers and debates on what additives go in what fuel and where it comes from etc.

There are a lot of discussions on the problems caused by ethanol on the web too, look at this for example;
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source ... JVC5znXQ1Q

I've always found that cars that run just fine on 95 over here pink and run on on French 95...

I only use super unleaded 97/optimax etc here and the 98 on the continent, find my stuff runs much better on it. It's only a couple of cents dearer in France too, can't understand why it is so much dearer here.

98 is 1.53 euros here at our local InterMarche. How long before we all have to give up driving.

A bit under 135.9p/litre - so about 2-3p more than 95 here. Diesel's north of £1.40 now.