Will the petrol in my Kia Niro PHEV deteriorate if not used?

I own a six year old Kia Niro PHEV. I have recently downsized my housing and now live in a small bungalow. My car now mainly sits in my driveway and when I do use it the electric from the battery covers 95% of my journeys. I filled the petrol tank on March 13th and now almost 8 months since I arrived I am still on the same petrol with a bit more than half a tank left. Should I let the battery empty and run on petrol until I am down to about and eighth full and then top up with fresh or is it still okay to drive on electric as I do and the petrol will still be alright?

Asked on 4 November 2025 by George Hogg

Answered by David Ross
Generally speaking six months is considered the safe window for fuel in your tank, so it is possible that the remainder of the fuel now in your tank is beyond the point where it is safe to use. Filling up the tank with fresh fuel should be sufficient to dilute the older fuel and make it safe to use, but if you don't drive far enough to use the petrol then eventually you will be back in the same position. One option would be to use a fuel stabiliser additive which would help to keep the fuel usable for longer, alternatively you could make some regular journeys on petrol only to ensure that the engine is running and the fuel in the tank is used and replaced on a regular basis.
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