Starting in August, Brazilians will have access to a new type of gasoline, with higher quality and more similar to fuels sold in Europe and the United States, but many questions remain about it. Therefore, the team of experts at Senhor Carros is now bringing you everything you need to know about Brazil's new gasoline. So? Ready to learn more?

To talk about Brazil's new gasoline, we need to go back in time a bit and understand why our fuel was (and still is) so criticized. 

The poor quality of Brazilian gasoline is something old.

In the 1980s, it was so bad that imported cars needed to undergo a mechanical modification to reduce the engine's compression ratio so that the car could run on its "low octane" fuel. 

Until 1994, Brazilian gasoline was still known for its toxicity because it contained tetraethyl lead, which was replaced by anhydrous ethanol, making it cleaner and also increasing its octane rating.

In 2014, another change was made to improve the quality of our gasoline: the reduction of the sulfur content from 200 to 50 ppm – parts per million.

With this measure and the high octane rating, our fuel came to be considered one of the best in the world. But there was still room for improvement. 

For our fuel to meet international standards, specific regulations regarding its density were needed. 

The current density of Brazilian gasoline is around 700 kg per m³, while that of ethanol is around 750 kg per m³. Just for comparison, the density of water is 1 kg per m³, or 1 kg per liter. 

An engine's efficiency depends on the density of the fuel. The higher the density, the more power and the lower the fuel consumption.

However, due to a lack of regulation, Brazilian gasoline could vary in density, even though almost all of it is refined and supplied by Petrobras. 

But with the possibility of being imported and reformulated by other refineries, some of the gasoline sold at Brazilian gas stations could be reformulated with a lower density, which affects power and fuel consumption. 

In January, the ANP – National Petroleum AgencyThe regulatory body responsible for fuel standards in the country has established new standards for our gasoline, including a minimum density. 

Resolution 807 of January 23, 2020, reclassifies octane rating, which is its ability to resist engine compression before and during combustion. 

Octane rating has two measurement standards: The research method – RON and the engine method – MON.

The RON method is used in Europe. In Brazil, the methodology currently adopted is the same as in the USA, which is the average between RON and MON, called the anti-knock index – AKI. 

Regular gasoline in Brazil, for example, has an octane rating of 82 according to the MON method and 93 according to the RON method.

The average of the two: MON 82 + RON 93 divided by two is 87, which corresponds to 87 IAD, the index used here and in the US, as we mentioned. 

Regarding octane rating, the gasoline classification standard changes from the IAD we currently use to the European RON.

The specification for the new gasoline in Brazil determines that regular gasoline, whether manufactured in Brazil or imported, must have a minimum density of 715 kg/m³ and an octane rating of at least 92 octane according to the RON standard. 

It is important to highlight that there are special gasolines on the Brazilian market with octane ratings higher than the 92 octane not standardized by the ANP (National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels), such as Petrobras' Podium, Ipiranga's Octapro, and Shell Racing, but they are not found in all gas stations. 

Regarding the addition of anhydrous ethanol to its composition, there was no change. The levels remained at 27% for regular and premium gasoline and 25% for premium gasoline. 

The resolution, established back in January, came into effect on August 3rd and must be offered at 100% stations across the country within 90 days.

Therefore, you can only be sure that you will be able to fill your car with the new Brazilian gasoline starting on November 3rd. 

However, according to Petrobras (responsible for the 90% refinery of Brazilian gasoline), the higher quality fuel has been in production since the beginning of the year. 

Many people don't know this, but they may already have been driving with the new Brazilian gasoline for some time.

It is important to point out that it is not possible to identify the new fuel at the pump; it does not have a specific name and is visually identical to the old one. 

ANP (National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels) reported that companies and gas stations caught selling old gasoline after the 90-day period may be fined amounts ranging from R$20,000 to R$5 million. 

Contrary to what many people believe, the new gasoline in Brazil does not provide power or torque above the values reported by automakers for various car models. 

However, especially in the case of flex-fuel cars, the loss of power and torque with the new fuel may be noticeable.

We know that many flex-fuel cars perform better when fueled with ethanol, but with the new gasoline, this difference should decrease, especially in more modern engines equipped with turbochargers and direct injection. 

Regarding economic issue In terms of efficiency, Brazil's new gasoline promises greater energy efficiency and reduced fuel consumption of up to 6%.

As expected, the new gasoline, being of higher quality, will be more expensive. However, Petrobras has not provided an estimate of how much the average price has increased or will increase. 

Currently, the price of fuel in Brazil is determined by international market prices and other variables, such as the price of a barrel of oil, exchange rates, and even freight costs. 

Therefore, these factors can vary both upwards and downwards and are more influential on the price than the additional cost of the new specification. 

It is important to mention that Petrobras adds that it is only responsible for 30% of the final price of gasoline at gas stations.

The remaining percentages that make up the final price of gasoline are composed of taxes, the price of added ethanol, and the profit margins of distributors and retailers. 

Now that you know all about the new gasoline in Brazil, when you fill up your tank, ask the attendant or manager if the gasoline being put in your car already meets the new standards.

If the answer is yes, pay attention to the engine's response, as well as fuel consumption, and leave a comment here on our post. 

It's always great when our readers participate by giving their opinions and sharing facts that occur in their daily lives. 

And since we're talking about fuel, how about checking out a list of the 30 cars with the lowest fuel consumption on the highway?

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