Government tests have demonstrated that
using E85 will reduce hydrocarbon and
benzene emissions compared to cars fueled
with gasoline. E85 can also reduce carbon dioxide emissions
(which contribute to global warming). The cool thing is that corn grown for ethanol can recapture CO2 emissions burnt as fuel and use it when it grows in the summer! I bet you didn't even know that corn was a recycler!
Ethanol is water soluble, non-toxic, and biodegradable. E85 with 15% gasoline has about 80% less contaminants than traditional gasoline!
Conventional vehicles don't have the fuel sensor that allows an FFV (Flexible Fuel Vehicle) to adjust to varying levels of ethanol. In addition, FFVs have alterations in their fuel tank, fuel lines, injectors, computers, and more. If you are car savvy and speak gear-head language, Iowa Corn sponsors a technical component for drivers education classes and for dealerships through Northwest Community College. To find out about their program, click here.
Since 1998, auto manufacturers have made FFV engine standard on certain models. Gasoline-only engines aren’t an option with these models, so there’s no price differential to debate. Repair costs are roughly the same for FFVs and regular autos, but since FFVs run cleaner, their maintenance costs may even be lower over the life of the vehicle.
Remember the wizard behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz who tricked the village into thinking he was much more than just a regular person. Kits that offer to switch your regular car into a flexible fuel vehicle are just "smoke behind the curtain." Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) are designed with complex sensors and computer codes that equip them to adjust to ethanol at levels higher than 10%. Gasoline-only vehicles simply aren’t built to handle those adjustments – attempting a retrofit to use E85 can spell trouble!
Being flexible is the name of the game! An FFV can be fueled with any combination of gasoline and ethanol. The fuel and ignition system will adjust automatically to 100% gasoline, E85, or any combination of the two without any action on your part.
Lots of claims are made about E85 mileage, and it’s hard to sort them out because so many factors affect mileage. Since a gallon of ethanol delivers less energy than a gallon of gasoline, there is some reduction in mileage, but only 5% to 15%. In practice, this varies with the vehicle, driver, and road conditions. Driving on poorly inflated tires can reduce mileage by 6% and aggressive driving can cut mileage by 20%.
As with other fuels, the more E85 fueling locations available, the more competition there is in fuel pricing. E85 is normally priced to compete with regular gasoline. In some cases, E85 may be the less expensive fuel choice!
