The COVID-19 crisis is affecting many areas of industry that are critical to keeping Europe moving and that ensure that essential goods and services can continue to move without interruption. However, reduced transport activity, especially of cars and vans with petrol engines, has led to a problem with stocks of winter-grade petrol that needs to find an outlet.
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) understand that some countries will permit the sale of winter-grade petrol beyond the normal change-over date of 1 May, from when summer-grade petrol is sold in countries with warmer summer temperatures (for countries with less warm summer temperatures, the change-over date is 1 June).
As this position paper sets out, automakers are sympathetic to the situation that refiners and fuel suppliers find themselves in, but ACEA cautions that the use of winter-grade petrol as temperatures rise may lead to customers seeing some operational problems with their vehicles, which automobile manufacturers cannot be held responsible for.
At the same time, there is a reduced demand for aviation (jet) fuel. Here automakers are completely against any intention to blend aviation fuel in road transport fuel. The position paper explains why and what the consequences may be for drivers and operators.
SOURCE: ACEA
