E85 why use

The DOE offers a zip-code station locator here. Ethanol is a domestic energy source and as such helps to reduce our reliance on imported oil. The U. Six states in the Midwest produce 72 percent of that total: Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, and South Dakota listed in descending order of production. Their total list of pure-gas stations in the U. Ethanol as fuel has been a political football for years, pitting Midwestern corn-producing states against the rest of the country in a pitched battle for fuels legislation the Iowa caucus going first in presidential campaigns makes it political suicide to be against ethanol.

As the new-vehicle market has shifted away from E85 compatibility, the Renewable Fuels Association has switched its focus to increasing the "regular gas" blend from 10 to 15 percent. The EPA has approved E15 for use in all vehicles produced since , but not all manufacturers have blessed the fuel for that long. All GM cars have been E15 compatible for nine years, Fords for eight, but Mercedes-Benz , Mazda , Mitsubishi , and Volvo still don't include E15 as an approved fuel in their owner's manuals.

It is not recommended for motorcycles, light-duty trucks, or medium-duty passenger vehicles. So, for the foreseeable future, E15 will need to be labeled and sold alongside E The Renewable Fuels Association reports that 1, stations are currently selling E Read the decals affixed near your fuel filler to verify whether your vehicle is rated to operate on E15 and prepare for the possibility of slightly reduced fuel economy and range relative to E10 or increasingly rare pure gasoline. And don't expect much in the way of improved performance.

Close Ad. Join MotorTrend. What Is Flex Fuel? Chevrolet Impala 3. Flex fuel does have some disadvantages you should be aware of before purchasing one of these vehicles. While it's great that flex fuel can be sustainably produced using corn and sugar, its production comes with a downside.

Crops designed to be used for flex-fuel production can't be allocated to other sources. This could potentially drive up the price of animal feed. Corn is also susceptible to disease and weather conditions such as flooding and drought. This can be problematic for corn prices during poor harvests. Obviously you want to treat your engine in the best way possible. Unfortunately, ethanol absorbs dirt easily, which can potentially corrode and damage your engine, says Car Bibles.

One of the main concerns about driving a flex-fuel car is its gas mileage. While some experts assert that flex-fuel vehicles have similar mileage as regular fuel-powered vehicles, others claim they have lower gas mileage. While ethanol does raise a vehicle's octane level, it contains less energy.

In other words, it will take 1. So, yes, you will get fewer miles per gallon using ethanol. However, ethanol costs less than regular gasoline, so the savings should more than offset the mileage loss.

Because flex fuel isn't as economical as gasoline, gas stations are less likely to carry it. In fact, only a small percentage of gas stations nationwide supply ethanol, although that is likely to change as more consumers purchase flex-fuel vehicles.

The benefit of a modern flex-fuel vehicle, though, is that you can use any combination of gasoline and ethanol, whether it's percent unleaded gas or 85 percent ethanol.

Your vehicle's sensors will detect the blend and make the necessary changes. The debates surrounding the pros and cons of flex fuel and flex-fuel vehicles aren't going away anytime soon.

However, there does seem to be a move toward using ethanol as an environmentally friendly and economical fuel source. More ethanol refining plants are opening up, and even if you're not ready to transition to a flex-fuel vehicle yet, it's something to keep in mind for the future.

Technology is always changing, so there's no way to predict what flex-fuel vehicles and advances could emerge over the next few years. You could be driving a flex-fuel car already and not even know it. Flex-fuel vehicles typically look no different than other vehicles, but there are some signs you can look for. For example, many manufacturers put yellow gas caps on flex-fuel vehicles or a yellow ring where you insert the fuel nozzle. You'll see big savings on fuel. You can read more information about how E85 affects mileage and how you can save money on it here in this article.

E85 burns much, much cleaner than gasoline. It also burns cooler. As a result, E85 prevents the carbon build-up that is the leading cause of ring and valve wear. The ethanol in E85 does a pretty great job clearing the deposits that form:. In fact, a lot of people run one or two tanks worth of E85 through their engine to clean it out. The cleaner your engine stays, the longer it lasts. Ethanol is a renewable resource. It's also produced right here in the USA. It's a whole better for the environment than pure fossil fuel.

This makes E85 the next best thing to electric vehicles as far as green solutions go. In the United States, ethyl alcohol is made from distilling corn grown by American farmers. When you fill your tank with E85, your money stays in the USA.