| Ethanol
Fuel for Automobiles
With concern over petroleum prices, ethanol has
been getting increasing attention as an alternative
fuel source. Ethanol is an alternative to petroleum
for use in automotive fuels. It is produced from
various agricultural and plant sources, the most
common being corn.
Ethanol is mixed with gasoline to achieve higher
octane ratings and reduce polluting emissions.
Common blends are “gasohol” or E10
(10% Ethanol, 90% Gasoline), and E85 (85% Ethanol
and 10% Gasoline.)
Low-level Blends
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, all
automotive manufacturers approve the use of low-level
ethanol blends (10% ethanol or less) in gasoline
vehicles. Ethanol has an octane rating of 113,
so low-level blends will add 2-3 points to the
gasoline’s octane rating. Drivers notice
no difference in performance with low-level ethanol
blends, but because ethanol does not deliver as
much energy per gallon, fuel economy may be slightly
lower than pure gasoline. A federal tax credit
for ethanol blends helps to offset cost differences.
E85 Ethanol
How
is E85 different than pure gasoline? It has 80%
of the energy per gallon as compared to pure gasoline,
so MPG ratings will be lower. Consider this when
comparing prices of Gasoline vs. E85. E85, unlike
gasoline, is a renewable energy made from agricultural
resources abundant in the United States, and burns
much cleaner than petroleum resulting in less
pollution. And most importantly, E85
can only be used in specially designed vehicles.
High-level ethanol blends such as E85 can only
be used in vehicles called Flexible Fuel Vehicles
(FFVs) designed for such fuel. According to the
Alternative Fuels Data Center, “FFVs are
widely available. As of 2005, the National Ethanol
Vehicle Coalition estimated that approximately
5 million FFVs have already been sold in the United
States, although many buyers remain unaware that
they may fuel with E85.” Check your
owner's
manual to find out if you can use E85.
E85 is not as widely available as gasoline. To
find stations near you that offer E85, try these
search tools:
http://www.e85fuel.com/database/search.php
http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/infrastructure/locator.html
Numerous facts and benefits regarding the use
of Ethanol as an alternative fuel can be found
at the American Coalition for Ethanol at http://www.ethanol.org.
Sources:
US Department of Energy,
Alternative Fuels Data Center:
http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/
American
Coalition for Ethanol
http://www.ethanol.org/
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