E85 Ethanol: Check If You Already Have a Flex Fuel Car

Choosing E85 ethanol the next time you fill your vehicle's fuel tank would help reduce the smog in your city's skies – helping people breathe cleaner air – while improving the U.S. economy and lessening America's dependence on foreign oil imports, according to the organization Growth Energy.

Many late-model cars are already "flex-fuel" vehicles, which means they can operate on either gasoline or E85 – a blend of fuel that contains 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Some vehicles manufactured as early as 1999 are flex-fuel. There are more than 8.5 million flex-fuel cars on the road today, but many drivers aren’t aware that they even have one.

Ethanol is an alcohol fuel made from renewable corn and other plant-based materials, as opposed to gasoline, a petroleum-based fuel made from non-renewable fossil fuels. Gasoline enriched with ethanol contains more oxygen, allowing it burn cleaner than conventional gasoline. According to Argonne National Laboratory, on a life-cycle analysis basis, corn-based ethanol production and use reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 52% compared to gasoline production and use. Greenhouse gases are thought to contribute to global warming.

Fortunately, E85 is easy to use and can be pumped into vehicles in the same manner as conventional gasoline. You could even save money by fueling your car with E85 ethanol.

Because E85 is a relatively new product, it can be used only by flex-fuel vehicles — those manufactured to use either type of fuel. Take a moment to check if your vehicle can run on E85.

E85 is growing in popularity, but there are a limited number of service stations offering the alternative fuel. See if there is an E85 fuel station near you. Minnesota leads the nation with more than 350 such stations, while Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, South Dakota, and Wisconsin each have 100 or more per state.

For more information on using E85 in your vehicle, visit the US Department of Energy's Clean Cities Program or The American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest's Clean Air Choice.