Ethanol

Are you already using a domestically produced alternative fuel in your vehicle? If you live in a major U.S. city, you probably are.

In the United States, one out of every eight gallons of gasoline sold contains ethanol. Most of this ethanol is purchased as blends of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline, known as E10, and is used as an octane enhancer to improve air quality.

If you are driving a flexible fuel vehicle, you have the opportunity to fuel with E85, a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. A conversion kit has been approved for a limited number of model years and makes.

Ethanol is a colorless liquid that is distilled from agricultural crops-usually corn. Most ethanol is produced in the grain-growing states of the midwestern United States. The U.S. Department of Energy is also exploring ways to make ethanol from crop wastes like corn stalks and corn husks.

The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 mandated the use of oxygenated gasoline in areas with unhealthy levels of carbon monoxide. At the time, the primary oxygenates were ethanol and MTBE. Subsequently, MTBE has been shown to contaminate ground water supplies, and the demand for ethanol has increased significantly.

Benefits

• Ethanol is domestically produced and allows us to reduce our use of imported petroleum.
• Ethanol emits less carbon monoxide than gasoline.
• Adding oxygenates like ethanol to gasoline reduces carbon monoxide emissions.
• Ethanol production supports U.S. farmers and creates jobs.

Performance

All auto manufacturers approve the use of low-level ethanol blends. Fuel ethanol blends are successfully used in all types of vehicles and engines that require gasoline. Approval of ethanol blends is found in the owners' manuals under references to refueling or gasoline.

Availability

Fuel ethanol blends are sold in every state, and ethanol blends make up nearly 100% of the gasoline sold in carbon monoxide and ozone nonattainment areas during certain months of the year. For a list of stations that dispense ethanol, visit the Public Fueling Locations page.

Cost

Although ethanol is more expensive to produce than gasoline, federal tax incentives reduce the price to a competitive level.

Fleet Owners

The United States Department of Energy has a E85 Fleet Toolkit available on their website for fleet owners who are switching to E85.