What is e 85 and where can you Buy it
E-85 is a motor fuel composed of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. In the United States, roughly 95% of ethanol is corn ethanol, produced by fermenting the starches contain in the kernel. The remaining portion is produced from a variety of other grains (e.g., wheat, barley, milo) and sugar containing waste products like cheese whey or beverage wastes. Brazil, the world's other major fuel ethanol producer, uses sugar cane. Efforts are underway to commercialize technology for extracting and fermenting the more complex sugars contained in cellulose and hemi-cellulose, two of the three primary components of biomass (e.g., woods, corn stalks, straw, etc). The third component of biomass, lignin, is a complex polymer which cannot be processed for sugars, but is useful as an energy source for processing. Ethanol produced in this manner is generally termed lignocellulosic ethanol, or cellulosic ethanol for short. At least five companies are currently pursuing commercial ethanol plants of this type in the U.S. and we can probably expect the first one to come on line within 2-3 years.
According to the Alternative Fuels Data Center (published by the U.S. DOE) there are currently about 1100 fueling stations across the U.S. that offer E-85. Most are in the Midwest where corn production, and hence, ethanol production is concentrated. Minnesota for instance, has 299 E-85 stations, Illinois has 143, and Indiana has 72. The AFDC operates a search engine where consumers can enter an address and find a list of E-85 stations within a specified geographic area. More involved queries are also possible and data for other alternative fuels such as CNG, LPG, hydrogen, and biodiesel is available as well. The National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition provides a similar service, but query options are more limited.
Consumers should know several things before they fill up their cars with E-85. For one, not all vehicles are approved for E-85 use. Ethanol is more corrosive than gasoline, so parts coming into contact with the fuel must be altered to make them ethanol tolerant (e.g., Telfon lined fuel hoses, stainless steel gas tanks). Depending on the specific operating conditions, using E-85 in an unapproved vehicle may damage the pistons, engine valves, and catalytic converter, while also voiding the manufacturer's warranty. In the U.S. E-85 capable vehicles are termed flex-fuel vehicles or FFVs because they can run on any ethanol-gasoline mixture containing up to 85% ethanol. Dedicated E-85 vehicles are not practical because of the relative lack of E-85 filling stations in many parts of the country. FFVs contain a sensor that measures the ethanol content of the fuel and alters vehicle operation accordingly. All vehicles manufactured for the U.S. market are approved for blends of up to 10% ethanol (E-10).
To find out if your vehicle is an FFV, you can consult the Ethanol Vehicle Coalition website, which has a complete listing of makes and models. Once you've ascertained that your vehicle has an FFV option, check the 8th digit of the vehicle's VIN to find out whether it was manufactured to FFV specifications. Again, the Ethanol Vehicle Coalition lists the letter or digit used by different manufacturers to denote an E-85 capable vehicle. This is important because FFVs are typically sold to consumers with no price mark-up, so consumers may not even be aware that their vehicle is E-85 capable.
A second consideration for the consumer is fuel mileage. Ethanol contains about 84,000 Btu/gallon, compared to around 125,000 Btu/gallon for gasoline. Thus the energy content of E-85 is only about 72% of pure gasoline. However, because ethanol contains oxygen, it burns more completely in a car engine and fuel mileage is on average reduced by 20-25%. Related to this is fuel cost, the third consumer consideration. E-85 typically costs less than regular unleaded gasoline, but prices are typically regionally dependent. In the Midwest for instance, it is not unusual for E-85 to be priced 30-60 cents less than unleaded gasoline. At current fuel prices, this equates to 15-25% of the total cost of fuel and accounts for most or all of the cost of the reduced fuel economy.
However, outside ethanol production areas, E-85 is sometimes sold at a price comparable to unleaded gasoline. Hence, if fuel cost is primary concern for you, it may not be in your best interest to fill up with E-85 even if you own an FFV. Exceptions to this rule do exist however, so it is advisable to check out price listings in your area before you make a decision. The American Lung Association operates a website called Clean Air Choice for just this purpose. Even if the cost calculations turn out to be negative, it should also be pointed out that using E-85 reduces vehicle emissions of carbon monoxide (40% as reported by the EPA), smog forming chemicals (15%), and greenhouse gases (15-30% depending on production methods). Ethanol can also be produced almost entirely with domestic resources, although petroleum derivatives are used in agricultural applications and transport, while it also helps support rural farming communities by adding value to their farm products. If these things are important to you, E-85 provides you with an opportunity to voice your support.
