Why Ethanol / E85?
Because it is environmentally friendly.
Can an environmentally friendly fuel deliver real performance for your car? You bet.
Gasoline enriched with ethanol performs in much the same way that regular gasoline does. It’s been in use for decades, with trillions of miles logged on vehicles all over the world. Plus ethanol-enriched gasoline actually surpasses regular gasoline in key performance categories!
Gasoline enriched with ethanol contains more oxygen — so it burns cleaner, leaving fewer deposits and keeping fuel injectors and intake valves cleaner.
The facts are powerful.
* Ethanol-enriched fuel can reduce pre-ignition problems (knocking/pinging).
* Tests have concluded that ethanol does not increase corrosion, nor will it harm any seals or valves.
* Ethanol-enriched gasoline meets all applicable vapor-pressure standards — to alleviate driving or starting problems in hot or cold weather.
* Ethanol-enriched gasoline can tolerate water contamination to a far greater degree than gasoline alone — it absorbs moisture and helps prevent gasoline freeze-up in cold weather.
* Today’s cars are built to run on fuel enriched with up to 10% ethanol and are warranted for its use.
. Which type of ethanol is right for your car?
There are two types of ethanol-enriched fuels commonly available in the United States:
* E10 (10% ethanol, 90% gasoline) and
* E85 (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline)
E10 is the most commonly available ethanol-containing fuel in the United States and can be used safely in all of today’s cars. All auto manufacturers approve ethanol’s use, many even recommend it. So do your part by filling up with fuel enriched with 10 percent ethanol today.
E85 is for use only in flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) that are specially designed for it. Many of these vehicles carry an exterior badge identifying them as E85 compatible. More and more of today’s cars, trucks and SUVs are designated as FFVs. Is yours one of them?
Visit the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition at www.e85fuel.com to see if E85 is a good alternative for the car you drive.
Fuel enriched with ethanol can be used in other engines, too.
Most motorcycle, recreational vehicle and power equipment manufacturers allow the use of ethanol-enriched gasoline in their products without restriction. In fact, Harley-Davidson actually recommends the use of renewable, clean-air fuels such as ethanol-enriched gasoline. You should check your equipment’s owner’s manual for more information regarding the use of ethanol-enriched gasoline. E-85 (a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline) is available for use in flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs). This type of ethanol fuel has the highest oxygen content of any fuel available, making it burn more cleanly and more completely than any other fuel. Currently, it has a limited distribution — but is often 20 cents cheaper than regular gasoline.
Those are reasons enough to check to see if your car, truck or SUV can run on E-85! Just look in your owner’s manual or your vehicle’s gas cap to see if you can fill up with this special ethanol fuel alternative.
At present, extending the volume of conventional gasoline is a significant end use for ethanol, as is its use as an oxygenate. To succeed in these markets, the cost of ethanol must be close to the wholesale price of gasoline, currently made possible by the Federal ethanol subsidy; however, the subsidy is due to expire in 2007, and although the incentive has been extended in the past, in order for ethanol to compete on its own merits the cost of producing it must be reduced substantially.
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