Most Recent Questions Energy Balance Environment Ethanol and the Economy Ethanol and the Engine Ethanol Fuel Ethanol Production Fuel Efficiency Gas Station Investing in Ethanol

Q:

Can I use E85 in lawnmowers?

A:

Currently, there are no commercially available lawnmowers that are capable of running on E85. E10, however, is safe to use in your lawnmower. Using E10 will reduce the amount of pollutants released into the air. When you fill up, look for labels on the pump that say "ethanol," "ethanol-enriched" fuel, or E10. If you don’t see any visible labeling, ask your retailer if ethanol is available.

Q:

I am an environmentally and economically aware automotive enthusiast interested in optimizing my classic vehicle for E85 use. I look at this as being a win/win situation, expecting higher performance as well as decreased emissions and increased energy independence. But when I look around, I see no interest by ethanol producers to address the automotive enthusiast market. Indy and dragsters are fine, but these racing circuits exist because of the effect of automotive enthusiasts on the auto industry, and most of these people do not drive professionally, they drive street cars that reflect their interest in racing. I believe that there is a huge market for E85 as a performance fuel, and the expense of upgrading parts to optimize E85 use can be seen the same as any other performance upgrade. As E85 becomes more widely available, this question will be raised more and more, and I want to know why this market has yet to be breached and what can I do to find out more?

A:

Running E85 in a vehicle that is not an FFV requires significant upgrades to the fuel delivery system. Essentially, everything the fuel touches needs to be alcohol compatible and would make it a dedicated E85 vehicle. Due to the limited number of E85 stations at this time, most are not interested in proceeding in a complete conversion. All that said, there are some after market alternative fuel vehicle conversions, but none of them have been certified by the federal government and also offer no warranty for your vehicle. For more information on after market conversions please visit the U.S. Department of Energy website's link on alternative fuel vehicles at: http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/afv/conversion.html.

Q:

I've been using E10 in my 1982 140 hp Johnson for some time and haven't experienced any problems. I thought the fuel pump diaphragm might be an issue (the rubber reacting with the ethanol) but so far so good (I carry a spare in case). Is there anything I should be looking out for? When I used E10 in an old motorbike it melted a plastic inline fuel filter within two weeks so it's obviously pretty corrosive to plastics.

A:

Most of the later model marine 4 cycle engines that are based on automotive style blocks are compatible with E-10 fuel. The only provision that should be considered is the fuel filter/water separator system. The unit should be on later model power units and if your unit is not equipped with one, you may want to install a marine approved fuel/water separator. You may have to change your filter a couple of times before all the moisture is absorbed by the E-10. E-85 will not work well with current marine applications.

Q:

My co-workers and I were having a conversation about Flex fuel AKA Ethanol vehicles.  Someone said it’s not proven that the Flex fuel won’t save you on gas mileage.  So my question to you is will it save you on gas mileage? 

A:

Flex-fuel vehicles, which are designed to operate on E85, regular gasoline, or any combination of the two, get the same miles per gallon as regular vehicles when operating on gasoline. If and when the driver uses E85, they will experience a loss in fuel economy, typically a decrease of 10 to 20%. This is simply due to the lower energy content of E85. There are many benefits to using ethanol, and these should be weighed into your decision, including the benefits to the environment, the economy and lowering our dependence on foreign oil. Another factor is the price of the fuel. Most times, E85 is priced lower than regular gasoline to help offset the loss in fuel economy.

Q:

I am not sure if this is the place to ask this, but I would appreciate anyone’s help; I was simply wondering if there is yet a 170 horsepower engine that runs completely on ethanol fuel yet? If someone could help me out with any sort of information I would be greatly appreciative.

A:

Vehicles currently being manufactured cannot run on 100% ethanol and pure ethanol cannot be purchased without permits from your state. There are nearly six million flex-fuel vehicles on the road today, designed to run on 85% ethanol. Vehicles that aren’t FFVs cannot run on E85 without significant upgrades to the fuel delivery system and there are currently no kits approved by the EPA to convert a vehicle to run on E85.

Q:

I am an E85 user and have been for about a year. My question is this; why do the two stations in Lansing, MI always charge nearly the same price for E85 as they do for unleaded regular? Unleaded is currently $3.65/gallon. They both raised the E85 price to $3.45. Your site reported E85 at $2.05 per gallon to produce. This seems like an exorbitant mark-up to me and I reported the stations to the state of Michigan. I hope you can use this information in your ongoing efforts to inform the politicians what is happening in the real world.

A:

There are many factors that can affect the price of E85. Ethanol wholesale prices are closely related to gasoline prices for a few reasons. First, ethanol is commonly used as an additive to gasoline and is bought and sold through the petroleum distribution system. Second, the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) provides an incentive for fuel companies to blend ethanol. It is important to remember the value of supply and demand. Last summer the demand was too great, driving the prices up. Currently the supply is keeping up with the demand and keeping prices lower and more stable. Some stations also contract their ethanol with an ethanol plant, and others simply buy on the spot market. All of this can add up to very different scenarios.

Q:

I have a 1986 Chevy Caprice that runs great. Is there an ethanol gas that would work in it? I also have a 1983 Caprice.

A:

All U.S. cars manufactured since 1982 are capable of running on E10, a blend of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline. In fact, ethanol is even recommended by many manufacturers for its clean-burning benefits. When you fill up you can look for a sticker on the pump with the words "ethanol," "ethanol-enriched" fuel, or "E10" to identify the blend. If you don’t see any visible labeling, ask the retailer if ethanol is available.

Q:

Ft. Walton Beach or the surrounding area at present does not have an ethanol station. How hard is it to start a station? I would like to start one in this area. One big problem though is no capital. Is it possible to get a government grant?

A:

Thanks for your interest in furthering the availability of ethanol! On the U.S. Department of Energy’s web site, http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/e85toolkit/, you will find detailed information about what’s involved in starting an E85 station. For potential funding assistance and more information, you can contact your local Clean Cities Coalition and your state energy office. Stations that have the ability to convert existing equipment to offer E85 can do so for a few thousand dollars. If new equipment is needed, this can be quite expensive. The cost is from adding new equipment, however, and would be the same for any additional fuel, not just E85. You can also visit www.floridaneedsethanol.com to see what else you can do to help ethanol become more available in your state.

Q:

I wonder if you have any articles that are current that give a background on the industry including economic factors, current pricing to build a plant and that address the profitability of ethanol production, especially with rising corn prices,etc. The current “State of the Industry” is another way to say this.

A:

Here are some of the ethanol industry statistics and effects it has had on the economy.

As of today, there are 120 ethanol plants operating in the U.S. with a combined production capacity of 6.2 billion gallons of ethanol annually. Today, there are more than 85 ethanol plants either under construction or expanding and they will contribute approximately 6.4 billion gallons of production capacity once completed. That will bring production to a total of 12.6 billion gallons per year. And the ethanol industry continues to grow.

The U.S. ethanol industry has created more than 180,000 jobs in all sectors of the economy, boosting U.S. household income by more than $7 billion. By 2015 the creation of more than 208,000 jobs will be possible due to ongoing production of ethanol and the construction of new capacity. These new jobs are created as a direct result of increased economic activity caused by ethanol production. The increase in gross output resulting from the ongoing production of a 50 million gallon per year (MGY) ethanol plant will support the creation of more than 800 jobs in all sectors of the local economy. Ethanol industry operations and spending for new construction added $2.7 billion of tax revenue for the federal government and $2.3 billion for state and local governments during 2006. These dollars are used for education, road improvements and emergency response programs.

There are many companies designing and building ethanol plants. We do not want to speak on their behalf with regard to pricing. Some of the top names in the business are ICM, Inc., Fagen, Inc., Poet and Delta-T.

Q:

My son is 10 years old and races Jr. Dragster. I'm looking into running ethanol fuel this year. We live in southern Ohio and would like to know where we could purchase ethanol fuel.

A:

To purchase ethanol racing fuel, you can contact VP Racing Fuels at www.vpracingfuels.com or Torco Racing Fuels at www.torco.com. If you are looking to use pure ethanol, you can contact Renova Energy, the fuel supplier for the Indy Racing League, at www.renova-energy.com.

Q:

I was just curious if you had an idea if there is a place in Las Vegas, NV to get my 1999 Honda Civic EX converted to run on Ethanol (E85 and 100%).

A:

The use of E85 in a vehicle that is not a flex-fuel vehicle (FFV) will likely result in damage to your engine, and we do not recommend it. FFVs have significant upgrades to the fuel delivery system due to the high alcohol content of E85. There are some after market alternative fuel vehicle conversions, but none of these have been certified by the federal government and also offer no warranty for your vehicle. For more information on after market conversions please visit the U.S. Department of Energy website's link on alternative fuel vehicles at: http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/afv/conversion.html. There you will find information on conversion company industry contacts and federal and state incentives which may apply to your case.

Q:

Is E10 octane 89 sometimes the "plus" at the pump?

A:

The octane rating of E10 is determined by what fuel the ethanol was blended with at the terminal. Adding 10% ethanol to gasoline adds 2.5 to 3 octane points. If the stock gasoline was 87 octane, the E10 blend would be either 89 or 90 octane. Some markets use sub-octane gasoline that is 84, and when blended with ethanol, becomes standard 87 octane fuel. Most states require E10 to be labeled, but some do not. If you do not see ethanol labeled at the pump, ask the retailer. If they don’t carry it, tell them you would like to have that option.

Q:

How can I find out if the gasoline I put in my "regular" car is 10% EtOH blend? I have occasionally found pumps labeled as such, but would like to know more. Is it required labeling? Does it vary state-to-state? I live in Indiana and travel frequently to MI and IL.

A:

More than forty-six percent of all gasoline sold in the United States is blended with some percentage of ethanol.  In some states, like Illinois, you can look for a sticker on the pump with the words “ethanol,” “ethanol-enriched” fuel, or “E10” to identify the blend.  Other states like Indiana and Michigan don’t require pump labeling, so if you don’t see any visible labeling, ask the retailer if ethanol is available.

Q:

I have a 2005 chevy pickup with ffv 5.3 and use E-85 most of the time. Will the throttle body need to be cleaned more often using E-85 than when using E-10? My pickup has 30,000 miles- is it getting time to have the throttle body cleaned? It stalled twice today while engine was at idle speed.

A:

The 2005 Chevrolet truck with a 5.3 liter V-8 has multi-port fuel injection. The cleaning of the throttle body is not as critical as it was when we had throttle body injection. The fact that you are using E-85 will not affect the frequency of this maintenance item. I have not been cleaning near as many throttle plates as we did in the past. Usually when carbon builds up on the throttle plate it is a results of crankcase fumes building up on the plate. This condition occurs on higher mileage vehicles. I sometimes think this procedure is over-rated on late model vehicles such as the 2005 Chevrolet. I would consult your owner's manual to see if this operation is normal maintenance. I assure you that E-85 will not increase the frequency of this service.

Q:

i donot live in america.this thing is new in my country.that i want to ask is why do i need to convert the ordinary engine to ethanol engine can you expalin to me what's the different and what happen if keep to try to use it if the engine is not compatible.if it's damage what is the damage.can you please expalin it to me.thanks

A:

You did not mention your country or type of vehicle that you are driving. All cars manufactured in the United States since 1982 have fuel systems that are ethanol-compatible (E10 or 10% ethanol). You do not need to modify any of these vehicles to operate on 10% ethanol. If your vehicle qualifies and has never used an ethanol-enriched gasoline blend, you might have to change the gas line filter. The 10% ethanol might dissolve/release some water and other residues in the gasoline system. Many newer U. S. manufactured cars and trucks are designed as flex fuel vehicles and can operate on ethanol levels up to 85% (designated as E85). The National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition (www.E85Fuel.com) can provide a listing of all flexible fuel vehicles. The United States is converting to ethanol-enriched fuels because they reduce harmful emissions, help ultimately to reduce carbon dioxide levels, is a renewable fuel source, and make us less dependent on foreign oil. Good luck on using ethanol-enriched fuels.