Houston Ethanol Vehicles
ImageBuilders
07-17-2007
Vehicle Availability FFVs are widely available. There are more than 5 million FFVs currently on the road in the U.S. today but many owners may be unaware that they may fuel with E85. Check your owner's manual, visit with your dealer, or see our list of current model year FFVs to determine if you drive a vehicle that can fuel with E85. Fuel Availability E85 fueling stations are located primarily in the Midwest; more than 1,000 public E85 stations are available across the United States. The actual fueling process is the same as fueling with gasoline or diesel. Visit our station locator to find the stations in your area. Vehicle Experience FFVs have recently become widely used by consumers, but they have operated in private and government fleets for years. Take a look at our Clean Cities fleet success stories for details. Vehicle and Fuel Costs E85 is usually sold at prices comparable to regular grade gasoline, although prices vary regionally. For more information on fuel prices, download the Alternative Fuel Price Report. With the mass production of some E85 compatible vehicles, original equipment manufacturers usually offer these vehicles at the same prices as comparable gasoline vehicles. The Clean Fleet Guide has a FFV Cost Calculator tool that calculates the costs and benefits of using E85 in your FFV instead of gasoline. Maintenance Considerations Special lubricants are no longer required for FFVs. Use E85 replacement parts (identify E85 as the fuel when ordering). Maintenance assistance is available from local dealers; practices are very similar, if not identical, to those for conventionally fueled vehicles. Benefits Compared with gasoline-fueled vehicles, most ethanol-fueled vehicles produce lower carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide emissions and the same or lower levels of hydrocarbon and non-methane hydrocarbon emissions. Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions are about the same for ethanol and gasoline vehicles. E85 has fewer highly volatile components than gasoline and so has fewer evaporative emissions. Ethanol has a high octane rating (108 +), which is beneficial in engines that are designed to operate on higher octane fuels. However, because ethanol is blended with gasoline in E85 the actual octane level rating will vary by season and location. Unlike gasoline, the octane rating of E85 is rarely posted on the pump and doing so is not required by law. General Motors has a fun "Cornulator" on its Live Green, Go Yellow Web site. Use it to estimate barrels of oil saved by fueling with E85. Performance A gallon of ethanol contains roughly 66% of the energy of a gallon of gasoline. However, as it is most commonly blended, E85 contains 71% of the energy of gasoline. In actual use, drivers can expect a fuel economy reduction of at least 15% relative to gasoline. Some auto manufacturers are installing larger fuel tanks, so the range of FFVs is similar to gasoline vehicles. Power, acceleration, payload, and cruise speed of vehicles operating with E85 are comparable to those operating with equivalent conventional fuels.
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