E85 Ethanol

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About Ethanol
Buyer's Guide
E85 Station Locations
Important UL Information
E85/FFV Fact Sheet
Ethanol Myths and Realities

Ethanol is a liquid renewable fuel derived from corn or other bio mass products. Flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) are designed to run on an 85% ethanol/15% gasoline blend called E85. FFVs also may use regular gas, or any blend of E85 and regular gas.

• The cost of E85 should be comparable with or less than regular 87 octane gasoline.
• With slight, inexpensive modifications and tank cleansing procedures, existing liquid fuel storage and dispensing systems can be converted to E85.
• E85 performs as well or better than regular gasoline and have an octane rating of 105.
• Tailpipe emissions and total greenhouse gas emissions are generally lower than gasoline across the board.
• The energy content of E85 is 29% less than regular gasoline. However, practical experience has shown a loss of only 5-12% in real-world fuel economy.

To learn more about which model vehicles can use E85 please visit www.CleanFuelsOhio.org/FFVs or download the 2007 Clean Fuels Buyer's Guide.

Information on Ohio E85 retail stations can be found on our E85 Refueling sites locator.

Important: Ohio State Fire Marshall Equipment Policy

E85/FFV Fact Sheet

For more information on E85 fuel and flexible-fuel vehicles, please download the Clean Cities Fact Sheet. Use it to inform yourself and others, including fuel station employees, dealership employees, and anyone else interested in learning more about FFVs.

More information is available at the National Ethanol Vehicle Coaltion's website

Ethanol Myths and Realities

With the growing public attention towards biofuels such as ethanol, there is a lot of information to be found about ethanol in the media. Unfortunately, there is also a lot of misinformation out there. Below, we assess some of the claims circulating in the media and set the record straight on ethanol and its use as an alternative fuel.

Claim: Flex fuel vehicles running on E85 get 27% less fuel economy compared to the same vehicles running on regular gasoline.

Reality: CR tested only one vehicle.  A study sponsored by the Minnesota American Lung Association demonstrated fuel economy losses to be 15-17%.  E85 fuel economy is an important issue.  Automakers need to provide high mileage FFVs and produce vehicles like the Saab 9-5 Biopower, sold today in Europe, which is engineered to use E85’s higher octane to deliver about the same fuel economy from E85 or gas, plus 20% more horsepower.

Claim: According to experts, the price of ethanol (and E85) will track the price of gasoline.  It won’t be significantly less expensive.

Reality: Real experience suggests otherwise.  During the spring of 2005 ethanol was priced substantially lower than gasoline.  With sufficient in-state ethanol production, more E85 stations and more FFVs on the road, E85 prices should trend lower and begin to behave with some independence from gas prices.

Claim: CAFÉ credits for FFVs increases fuel consumption and worsens oil dependency.

Reality: In the short term, this is true.  But these incentives are getting more FFVs on the road, which is spurring growth of E85 retail sites.  Long term, this will help curb petroleum imports.

Claim: E85 is constrained because ethanol can’t be shipped through existing gasoline pipelines.

Reality: Pipeline constraints have been exaggerated, and the focus on pipeline logistics is misplaced anyway.  Ethanol’s logistical advantage is that corn-based plants can be built throughout the Midwest and cellulosic-ethanol plants, when they come, can cover most of the country.  Unlike gasoline, the fuel can be produced much closer to where it is consumed.

Claim: There are only 800+ E85 locations because it costs $200,000 to develop new E85 pumps.

Reality: $200K per pump is a wild exaggeration.  Many E85 pumps have been established by converting existing equipment at a cost of less than $2,000.  New tanks and refueling systems have been developed this year in Ohio for less than $50,000 each.  The real barrier, which CR’s story ignored, is big oil’s practice of using franchise agreements with some branded stations to block biofuels availability and/or placement.

Claim: Ethanol’s environmental impact is the topic of raging debate in the scientific community. 

Reality: There is strong consensus in the scientific community that E85 ethanol is environmentally superior to gasoline.  Corn-based ethanol is somewhat better than gas while cellulosic-based ethanol is substantially better.   Studies produced by two experts cited by CR have been exposed as seriously flawed.

Claim: Ethanol on its own will never provide Americans with energy independence.  It’s just one of a “portfolio of choices.”

Reality: Correct!  But no advocate of ethanol has ever claimed otherwise.  There is no SINGLE silver bullet to our petroleum addiction.  E85, biodiesel, natural gas, hybrids, other fuel saving technologies, hydrogen someday, plus viable alternatives to auto use for daily commuting all must be vigorously pursued.