Flex Fuel

Of all the gasoline sold in the United States, about one-third contains some ethanol in the ratio of 90 percent gasoline and 10 percent ethanol. E85 Ethanol flex fuel inverts the formula at 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. A fraction of the cars and trucks on the road run on flex fuels, but that number is growing. Public and private efforts to increase the E85 ethanol demand have the ethanol producers pouring billions of dollars into new refineries. The use of flex fuel expands market for US crops adding jobs in agriculture and refining. It eases the nation’s imbalance in trade and cuts down tax dollars required to keep foreign oil coming into the country. Environmentally, the E85 has lower carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide emissions that the conventional gasoline or diesel-run vehicles. It is water soluble and biodegradable containing far less potential toxins than found in the regular gasoline.

Disadvantages of flex fuel are that production requires burning non-renewable fossil fuels to plant, grow, and harvest the crops and operating refineries. Critics argue that E85 ethanol production uses corn that could feed people and animals, and reduces the supply of corn while raising its price.

In 2005 an energy bill was signed into law requiring refineries to increase ethanol production and federal dollars were pledged for researching new methods of ethanol production. Regulators have also relaxed limits on the amount of air pollution generated by these refineries. Although a boom of refineries resulted, this benefits only a small number of vehicles today. Private E85 vehicles are manufactured by Ford and General Motors, although Chrysler, Dodge, and other companies are capable of producing flex fuel compatible vehicles. Special components are installed to monitor and compensate the ethanol/gasoline mix.

If you own a flex fuel vehicle you do not have to change any driving habits, but will have to make compromises if you insist of using E85 ethanol fuel always. Some proponents of the fuel note that the blended fuel keeps the system cleaner than gasoline with lower long-term maintenance costs. Special maintenance requirements are suggested by Ford and General Motors.