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{{Short description|Fuel blend of 85% ethanol and 15% another hydrocarbon}}
:''For the road, see [[European route E85]]''
{{other uses}}
[[Image:E85 logo.png|thumb|right|Logo used in the United States for E85 fuel]]
{{Further|Ethanol fuel in the United States|Biofuel in the United States}}
'''E85''' is an [[alcohol fuel]] mixture of 85% [[ethanol]] (ethyl alcohol, i.e., grain alcohol) and 15% [[gasoline]] (petrol) (proportioned by [[volume]] rather than [[mass]]) that can be used in [[flexible-fuel vehicle]]s.


[[Image:E85 fuel.svg|thumb|Logo used in the United States for E85 fuel]]
==Availability==
'''E85''' is an abbreviation typically referring to an [[Common ethanol fuel mixtures|ethanol fuel blend]] of 85% [[ethanol fuel]] and 15% [[gasoline]] or other [[hydrocarbon]] by [[Volume percent|volume]].
The [[fuel]] is widely used in [[Sweden]] and is becoming increasingly common in the [[United States]], mainly in the [[Midwest]] where [[maize|corn]] is a major [[crop]] and is the primary source material for ethanol fuel production. [[Minnesota]] has the largest number of E85 fuel pumps of any [[U.S. state]], with almost 150 of the 400+ pumps in the country. As of July [[2005]], [[Illinois]] has the second-greatest number of E85 pumps (about 60); most other states have fewer than two dozen. Even in Minnesota, the ethanol pumps represent a tiny fraction of the fuel outlets—there are about 4,000 [[filling station|gas station]]s in the state, each with several individual pumps (however, all stations there are required to carry [[E10 fuel|E10]], a 10% mixture of ethanol and gasoline). However, concerns about rising gasoline prices and energy dependence has led to a resurgence of interest in E85 fuel; for example, [[Nebraska]] mandated the use of E85 in state vehicles whenever possible in [[May]] [[2005]].


In the [[United States]], the exact ratio of fuel ethanol to hydrocarbon may vary according to ASTM 5798 that specifies the allowable ethanol content in E85 as ranging from 51% to 83%.<ref name=afdchb>[http://www.afdc.energy.gov/uploads/publication/ethanol_handbook.pdf afdc.energy.gov], ''Handbook for Handling, Storing, and Dispensing E85 and Other Ethanol-Gasoline Blends.'' US Department of Energy. Retrieved October 2, 2013.</ref> This is due to the [[lower heating value]] of [[Bartending_terminology#Neat|neat]] ethanol making it difficult to start engines in relatively cold climates without pre-heating air intake, faster cranking, or mixing varying fractions of gasoline according to climate. Cold starting in cold climates is the primary reason ethanol fuel is blended with any gasoline fraction.
==Cost==
As of mid-2005, E85 is frequently sold for a 0 to 35% lower cost than gasoline. Much of this discount can be attributed to various government subsidies, and, at least in the United States, the elimination of state taxes that typically apply to gasoline and can amount to 47 cents, or more, per gallon of fuel. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the price of E85 has risen to nearly on par with the cost of 87 octane gasoline in many states in the United States, and is often the only fuel available when gasoline is sold out.


In Brazil, ethanol fuel is neat at the pumps, hence [[flexible-fuel vehicle]]s (FFV) including trucks, tractors, motorbikes and mopeds run on E100. The 85% fraction is commonly sold at pumps worldwide (outside the US), and when specifically supplied or sold as E85 is always 85% ethanol (at pumps or in barrel). Having a guaranteed ethanol fraction obviates the need for a vehicle system to calculate best engine tune accordingly to maximise performance and economy.
Unfortunately, because ethanol contains less energy per gallon of fuel than gasoline, [[fuel economy]] is normally negatively impacted for most [[flexible-fuel vehicle|FFV]]s ([[flexible-fuel vehicle]]s) that are currently on the road by about 30% when operated on pure E85. (Newer vehicles can sometimes lessen this impact to only 5-15% through using higher compression ratio engines, or turbocharged engines.) Still, for all FFVs, more E85 is needed to do the same work as can be achieved with a lesser volume of gasoline. This difference is usually partially or totally offset by the lower cost of the E85 fuel, depending on E85's current price discount relative to the current price of gasoline.


In countries like Australia where E85 is always{{fact|date=September 2021}} 85% ethanol (and pump fuel with varying fractions is called "flex fuel"), performance motoring enthusiasts and motor racing clubs/championships use E85 extensively (without the need for any FFV certification){{fact|date=September 2021}}. Use of alcohol (ethanol and methanol) in motor racing history parallels the invention of the automobile, favoured due to inherent combustion characteristics such as high [[thermal efficiency]], high [[octane rating]], raised torque and with some advanced engines, better specific fuel consumption. In the United States, government [[Subsidy|subsidies]] of ethanol in general and E85 in particular have encouraged a growing infrastructure for the retail sale of E85, especially in [[Corn Belt|corn growing states]] in the [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]].{{citation needed|date=August 2013}}
For example, an existing FFV vehicle that normally achieves, say, 30 MPG on pure gasoline will typically achieve about 20 MPG, or slightly better, on E85. To achieve any short-term operational fuel cost savings, the price of E85 should therefore be 30% or more below the price of gasoline to equalize short term fuel costs for most existing FFVs. Life-cycle costs over the life of the FFV engine are theoretically lower for E85, as ethanol is a cooler and cleaner burning fuel than gasoline. Provided that one takes a longterm life-cycle operating cost view, a continuous price discount of only 20% to 25% below the cost of gasoline is probably about the break-even point in terms of vehicle life-cycle operating costs for operating an FFV on E85 continuously.


==Fuel economy==
Fuel economy in fuel-injected non-FFVs operating on a mix of E85 and gasoline varies greatly depending on the engine and fuel mix. For a 60:40 blend of gasoline to E85, a typical fuel economy reduction of around 23.7% resulted in one controlled experiment with a 1998 Chevrolet S10 pickup with a 2.2L 4-cylinder engine, relative to the fuel economy achieved on pure gasoline. Similarly, for a 50:50 blend of gasoline to E85, a typical fuel economy reduction of around 25% resulted for the same vehicle. (Fuel economy performance numbers were measured on a fixed commute of approximately 110 miles roundtrip per day, on a predominately freeway commute, running at a fixed speed (62 mph), with cruise control activated, at sea level, with flat terrain, traveling to/from Kennedy Space Center, FL.)
===Specific fuel consumption===
E85 promoters and the Society of Automotive Engineers contend that automotive manufacturers currently fail to equal the fuel consumption of gasoline because they fail to take advantages of characteristics which are superior in ethanol-based fuel blends. They claim that some ethanol engines have already produced 22% more miles per gallon than identical gasoline engines.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brusstar |first1=M. |title=High Efficiency and Low Emissions from a Port-Injected Engine with Neat Alcohol Fuel |chapter=High Efficiency and Low Emissions from a Port-Injected Engine with Neat Alcohol Fuels |series=SAE Technical Paper Series |date=2002-10-21 |volume=1 |doi=10.4271/2002-01-2743 |chapter-url=https://www.sae.org/publications/technical-papers/content/2002-01-2743/ |publisher=SAE International}}</ref>


Ethanol advocates{{Who|date=December 2015}} also state that it is a mistake to base ethanol engine design on gasoline engine design, and that ethanol engines should be based on diesel engine design parameters instead.{{clarify|date=September 2013}} Using this approach, the EPA has produced an ethanol-only engine which achieves much higher brake thermal efficiency levels than gasoline engines achieve.<ref>US EPA/OAR/Office of Transportation & Air Quality/Advanced Technology Division and FEV Engine Technology; Inc. "Economical, High-Efficiency Engine Technologies for Alcohol Fuels"</ref> Mileage is dependent upon the composition of the ethanol-gasoline blend, transmission, state of engine tune (primarily [[Air–fuel ratio|fuel-air mixture]], spark timing and compression ratio). In the United States to offset this difference in fuel consumption in vehicles not optimised for ethanol, legislation has been passed to subsidize its cost.
==Use in Flexible-fuel engines==
E85 is best used in engines modified to accept higher concentrations of ethanol. Such flexible-fuel engines are designed to run on any mixture of gasoline or ethanol.


===Energy value===
So far, most flexible-fuel vehicles that built in the United States have been [[sport-utility vehicle]]s and other members of the "[[light truck]]" vehicle class, with smaller numbers of [[sedan]]s, [[station wagon]]s, and the like.
In contrast, ethanol critics{{Who|date=July 2023}} contest the benefits of E85 by focusing on the fact that E85 has 33% [[lower heating value]] compared to the [[higher heating value]] of gasoline. However comparing energy expressed as a value of heat does not reflect the total work from an [[Otto Cycle]]{{citation needed|date=February 2017}}. As [[Energy content of biofuel|energy content]] does not factor certain latent or specific heat values{{citation needed|date=February 2017}}, nor combustion pressure, looking at heat alone in the combustion equation does not determine efficiency or work according to the [[laws of thermodynamics]].{{citation needed|date=February 2017}}


==Octane and performance==
Swedish automobile maker [[Saab Automobile|Saab]] has developed a [[turbocharger|turbocharged]] flexible-fuel engine called the [[BioPower]] which takes advantage of the high-octane fuel. The engine allows the vehicle to accelerate faster and attain higher speeds when running on E85 than when running on straight gasoline.
{{Globalize|date=December 2011}}
[[File:E85 fuel pump 7563 DCA 09 2009.jpg|thumb|E85 fuel dispenser at a regular gasoline station]]


===Use in flexible-fuel vehicles===
[[General Motors]] subsidiary [[GM do Brazil]] adopted GM's [[GM Family II engine#GM do Brazil|Family II]] and [[GM Family 1 engine#GM do Brazil|Family 1]] [[straight-4]] engines with [[FlexPower]] technology that enables the use of [[ethanol]], [[gasoline]], or their mixture. The vehicles with FlexPower include the [[Chevrolet Corsa]] and the [[Chevrolet Astra]].
E85 ethanol is used in engines modified to accept higher concentrations of ethanol. In the US such FFVs are designed to run on any mixture of gasoline or ethanol up to 85% ethanol, whereas in countries such as Brazil where the climate is typically warmer, FFVs run on neat alcohol. There are a few major differences between FFVs and non-FFVs. One is the elimination of bare [[magnesium]], [[aluminum]], and [[rubber]] parts in the fuel system. [[Fuel injection]] control systems have a wider range of pulse widths to inject up to 34% more fuel (which in turn produces more power). [[Stainless steel]] fuel lines, sometimes lined with plastic, and stainless-steel fuel tanks in place of [[terne]] ([[tinplate]]) fuel tanks have been used. In some cases, FFVs use specific engine oil that neutralises acidity. For vehicles with in-tank-mounted fuel pumps, precautions to prevent [[Electric arc|arcing]], as well as [[flame arrestor]]s positioned in the tank's fill pipe, are sometimes used.


===Octane rating===
==Use in standard engines==
As more effort is put into maximizing an engine to take advantage of E85's higher octane rating, engines achieve greater power advantages. One car that has higher power on ethanol is the [[Koenigsegg CCXR]], which on ethanol is the fifth-most powerful production car, with 20% more horsepower on E85 than on gasoline. According to the manufacturer, this is due to the cooling properties of ethanol. E85 has an [[octane rating]] higher than that of regular gasoline's typical rating of 87, or premium gasoline's 91-93. This allows it to be used in higher-compression engines, which tend to produce more power per unit of displacement than their gasoline counterparts. Examples of octane mis-citation can be found at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association titled "E85 Facts"<ref name=IRFA>Iowa Renewable Fuels Association [http://www.iowarfa.org/ethanol_e85facts.php "E85 Facts"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110530081708/http://www.iowarfa.org/ethanol_e85facts.php |date=2011-05-30 }}</ref> which cites a range of 100-105, and a document at the Texas State Energy Conservation Office titled "Ethanol",<ref name=TSECO>Texas State Energy Conservation Office [http://www.seco.cpa.state.tx.us/re_ethanol.htm "Ethanol"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429052540/http://www.seco.cpa.state.tx.us/re_ethanol.htm |date=2011-04-29 }}</ref> which cites a 113 rating.
E85 has a considerably higher [[octane rating]] than gasoline &mdash;about 110&mdash; a difference significant enough that it doesn't burn as efficiently in traditionally-manufactured [[internal-combustion engine]]s.


Some vehicles can be converted to use E85 despite not being specifically built for it. As the lower heating value E85 has a cooler intake charge—which, coupled with its high stability level from its high octane rating—has also been used as a "power adder" in turbocharged performance vehicles. These modifications have not only resulted in lower GHG emissions, but typically resulted in 10-12% power and torque increase at the wheels. Where the engine was previously knock limited by gasoline, power improvements are as high as 40%.
Use of E85 in non-FFV vechicles is generally experimental, with some users recommending light blends as low as 20%, while others have successfully run 100% E85.


Due to its low price and high availability in certain areas people have started to turn to using it in place of high-end racing fuels, which typically cost over US $10.00/gal.{{cn|date=January 2024}}
Modern cars (i.e., most cars built after 1988) have fuel-injection engines with oxygen sensors that will attempt to adjust the air-fuel mixture for the extra oxygenation of E85, with variable effects on performance.


==Emissions==
Operation of fuel-injected non-FFVs on more than 50% E85 will generally cause the check engine light (CEL) to illuminate, indicating that the [[electronic control unit|ECU]] can no longer maintain closed-loop control of the internal combustion process due to the presence of more oxygen in E85 than in gasoline. Beyond this point, adding more E85 to the fuel tank becomes rather inefficient. For example, running 90% E85 in a non-FFV will typically reduce fuel economy by 33% or more relative to what would be achieved running 100% gasoline. (This example is again for the same 1998 Chevy S10 pickup for which the fuel economy was studied in the controlled experiment mentioned previously.)
There are four primary types of pollutants scientists study. These emissions are hydrocarbons (HC), oxides of nitrogen (NO<sub>x</sub>), carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>). As E85 is predominantly ethanol, the exhaust emissions are very different from those of regular gasoline. Numerous studies have compared and contrasted the different emissions and the effects these emissions have on the environment, but the tests have been inconclusive. The tests have shown very little consistency if any at all because there are too many variables involved. The make and model of the vehicle, the way in which the ethanol was produced and the vehicle's overall [[fuel efficiency]] all play a large role in the overall outcome of each study.<ref name=JAWMA>Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, Vol. 59 (Issue 8)</ref> To address the problem of inaccuracy, engineers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory combined data from all applicable emissions studies and compiled them into one data set. This compiled set of data showed that on average all emissions that are federally regulated showed a decrease or no statistically relevant difference between E85 and gasoline.<ref name=AE45>Atmospheric Environment, Vol. 45, Issue 39</ref>


EPA's stringent tier-II vehicle emission standards require that FFVs achieve the same low emissions level regardless whether E85 or gasoline is used. However, E85 can further reduce emissions of certain pollutants as compared to conventional gasoline or lower-volume ethanol blends. For example, E85 is less volatile than gasoline or low-volume ethanol blends, which results in fewer evaporative emissions. Using E85 also reduces carbon-monoxide emissions and provides significant reductions in emissions of many harmful toxics, including benzene, a known human carcinogen. However, E85 in certain engine operating conditions may increase emissions of [[acetaldehyde]]. EPA is conducting additional analysis to expand our understanding of the emissions impacts of E85.<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208133709/http://www.epa.gov/SmartwayLogistics/growandgo/documents/factsheet-e85.htm |archive-date=2008-12-08 |url=http://www.epa.gov/SmartwayLogistics/growandgo/documents/factsheet-e85.htm |title=SmartwayLogistics |publisher=www.epa.gov|date=December 8, 2008}}</ref>
Prolonged exposure to high concentrations of ethanol may corrode metal and rubber parts in older engines (pre-1988) designed primarily for gasoline. For post-1988 fuel-injected engines, all the components are already designed to accommodate [[E10]] (10% ethanol) blends, and there is a greater degree of flexibility in just how much more may be added without causing ethanol-induced damage, varying by automobile manufacturer. Though there is no appreciable difference in the corrosive properties between E10 and a 50:50 blend of gasoline and E85 (47.5% ethanol), operation with more than 10% ethanol has never been recommended by car manufacturers in non-FFVs. Still, starting in 2010, at least one US state ([[Minnesota]]) already has legislatively mandated and planned to force E20 (20% ethanol) into their general gasoline fuel-distribution network. Details of how this will work for individual vehicle owners while maintaining automobile manufacturer warranties, despite exceeding the manufacturer's maximum warranted operation percentage of 10% of ethanol in fuel, are still being worked as of late-2005.


==Controversy==
E85 gives particularly good results in turbocharged cars due to its high octane [http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=803341]. It allows the [[electronic control unit|ECU]] to run more favorable ignition timing and leaner fuel mixtures than are possible on normal premium gasoline. Users who have experimented with converting [[OBDII]] (i.e., On-Board Diagnostic System 2, that is for 1996 model year and later) turbocharged cars to run on E85 have had very good results. Experiments indicate that most OBDII-specification turbocharged cars can run up to approximately 39% E85 (33% ethanol) with no CEL's or other problems. (In contrast, most OBDII specification fuel-injected non-turbocharged cars and light trucks are more foregiving and can usually operate well with in excess of 50% E85 (42% ethanol) prior to having CEL's occur.) Fuel system compatibility issues have not been reported for any OBDII cars or light trucks running on high ethanol mixes of E85 and gasoline for periods of time exceeding two years. (This is likely to be the outcome justifiably expected of the normal conservative automotive engineer's predisposition not to design a fuel system merely resistant to ethanol in [[E10]], or 10% percentages, but instead to select materials for the fuel system that are nearly impervious to ethanol.)


===Economics===
Fuel economy does not drop as much as might be expected in turbocharged engines based on the specific energy content of E85 compared to gasoline, in contrast to the previously-reported reduction of 23.7% reduction in a 60:40 blend of gasoline to E85 for one non-turbocharged, fuel-injected, non-FFV. Although E85 contains only 72% of the energy on a gallon for gallon basis compared to gasoline, experimenters have seen much better [http://www.ethanol.org/documents/ACEFuelEconomyStudy.pdf| fuel mileage] than this difference in energy content implies. Many commentators suggest that due to the lower energy content you should expect an equivalent 39% increase in fuel usage. This has not been the case in practice when running gasoline and ethanol blends. Some of the newest model FFV's get only about [http://www.nrel.gov/vehiclesandfuels/fleettest/pdfs/ohio6.pdf| 7% less mileage] per gallon of fuel of E85 compared to their gasoline fuel mileage.
A study by [[Purdue University]] found that the economic benefit of E85 is highly dependent on the price of [[crude oil]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Economics of Ethanol |url=https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ID/ID-339.pdf |publisher=Purdue University}}</ref>


===Food vs. fuel===
The reason for this non-intuitive difference is that the turbocharged engine seems especially well-suited for operation on E85, for it in effect has a variable compression ratio capability, which is exactly what is needed to accomodate varying ethanol and gasoline ratios that occur in practice in an FFV. At light load cruise, the turbocharged engine operates as a low compression engine. Under high load and high manifold boost pressures, such as accelerating to pass or merge onto a highway, it makes full use of the higher octane of E85. It appears that due to the better ignition timing and better engine performance on a fuel of 100 octane, the driver spends less time at high throttle openings, and can cruise in a higher gear and at lower throttle openings than is possible on 100% premium gasoline. In daily commute driving, mostly highway, 100% E85 in a turbocharged car can hit fuel mileages of over 90% of the normal gasoline fuel economy. Tests indicate approximately a 5% increase in engine performance is possible by switching to E85 fuel in high performance cars.
{{Main|Food vs. fuel}}
{{Globalize|section|USA|2name=the United States|date=March 2019}}
E85 critics contend that production of ethanol from corn (maize) drives up [[Food vs. fuel|world food prices]], causing corn to be unaffordable or even unavailable. E85 advocates counter that concern by pointing out that over 93% of all [[Corn production in the United States|corn grown in the United States]] is never fed directly to people, but is instead used as [[Fodder|livestock feed]]{{Citation needed|date=May 2018}}. Corn used to produce ethanol contains a high amount of starch and is not easily digestible by humans, like [[sweet corn]]. American farmers grow more corn than people purchase; there is an annual surplus of corn in the U.S.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-10/u-s-corn-surplus-seen-larger-than-expected-on-early-harvest.html|title=U.S. Corn-Surplus Seen Larger Than Expected on Early Harvest - Bloomberg|work=[[Bloomberg L.P.]]|date=10 April 2012 |access-date=5 September 2013|url-access=subscription}}</ref>{{Obsolete source|reason=Article retrieved in 2013, data has likely changed.|date=October 2022}}


E85 advocates say that corn prices have increased due to manipulation of the [[Commodity market|commodities markets]] and because American corn companies sell more and more US-grown corn to [[Mexico]] and [[China]], creating more competition for corn buyers, and therefore driving up its price. E85 critics contend that ethanol producers may not reduce [[Greenhouse gas|carbon emissions]] due to the petroleum and natural gas used in raising corn and refining it. E85 advocates reply by pointing to ethanol producers who do not do so, but instead use E85 or [[biodiesel]] fuel to transport E85, and use [[biomass]] as a heat source for the [[distillation]] of ethanol instead of petro-products like natural gas.
Experimenters who have made conversions to 100% E85, find that cold start problems at very cold temperatures can easily be avoided through adding 1 - 2 gallons of gasoline to the E85 in the tank, prior to the arrival of the cold weather.


Some say that [[cellulosic ethanol]] produced from waste materials or fast growing non-food crops such as [[Panicum virgatum|switchgrass]] is much more beneficial, but not yet economically practical at large scale. Others say that the world can easily replace all of its use of petroleum by simply making ethanol from the many crops that yield more ethanol per acre than corn yields, with existing technology, not future technology,<ref>''Alcohol Can Be a Gas'' Blume, David 2007 ''Preheating''; pp.&nbsp;406–410, ''Advancement of Ignition Timing'': pp.&nbsp;404, 417-18, 530 ''Higher Compression with Ethanol''pp.&nbsp;70, 358-60, 415-19,429, 433-435</ref> and that certain elements in the cellulosic ethanol field are more interested in patent rights than in producing the greatest amount of ethanol at the lowest price point.
No significant ignition timing changes are required for a gasoline engine running on E85.


==Availability and price==
E85 fuel requires a richer air fuel mixture than gasoline for best results. For successful conversions, it generally requires 27% - 30% more fuel flow than when the engine burns 100% gasoline.
{{see also|E85 in the United States|Corn ethanol}}
[[File:E85 sale 4949 Maryland 03 2009.jpg|thumb|right|Opening of an E85 retail pump in [[Maryland]]]]
E85 is increasingly common in the [[Ethanol fuel in the United States|United States]], mainly in the [[Midwest]] where corn is a major [[agriculture|crop]] and is the primary source material for ethanol-fuel production. As of July 1, 2014, there were more than 3,300 fuel stations that offered E85 fuel.<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701095550/http://www.e85prices.com/ |archive-date=2014-07-01 |url=http://www.e85prices.com/ |title=E85 Prices |publisher=E85prices.com|date=July 1, 2014}}</ref> E85 as a [[fuel]] is widely used in [[Ethanol fuel in Sweden|Sweden]]; however, most of it is imported from Italy and Brazil. E85 was formerly available from the [[Maxol]] chain in [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], where it was made from [[whey]], a byproduct of [[cheese]] manufacturing.<ref name=maxol>{{cite web |url=http://www.maxol.ie/documents/maxol_bioethanol_e85_leaflet.pdf |title=Maxol Bioethanol E85 leaflet |access-date=2010-12-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071118185458/http://www.maxol.ie/documents/maxol_bioethanol_e85_leaflet.pdf |archive-date=2007-11-18}}</ref> The availability ended in 2011, due to a severe excise-duty hike which rendered it economically unviable. In [[Finland]] E85 is available from 52 St1 chain locations and 71 ABC chain locations.<ref name=Suomiasemia>{{cite web |url=http://www.st1.fi/tuotteet/re85|title=RE85 - Tehokkaampi bioetanoli suomalaisesta jätteestä |publisher=St1.fi |access-date=2016-10-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002091316/http://www.st1.fi/tuotteet/re85 |archive-date=2016-10-02 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abcasemat.fi/fi/asemat |title=ABC-asemat |access-date=2016-10-03}}</ref> The E85 sold by St1 is labeled as RE85 and as "Eko E85" in ABC-stations to indicate it is manufactured from Finnish bio-waste.<ref name=SuomiRE85>{{cite web |url=http://www.st1.fi/index.php?id=2798 |title=Suomi - RE85 |publisher=St1.fi |access-date=2012-12-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121222113504/http://www.st1.fi/index.php?id=2798 |archive-date=2012-12-22 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=SuomiEko-E85>{{cite web |url=https://www.abcasemat.fi/en/the-abc-chain/fuel/eko-e85 |title=Eko E85 Fuel |access-date=2016-10-03}}</ref>
By way of international price comparison, in the Cook Islands as with many of the Pacific Islands, cost of producing 100% ethanol from coconut biomass is a fraction of obtaining [[fossil fuels]]. In France, about 30% of gas stations supply E85, or about 2,725 stations, and the number of flex-fuel kits installed doubled in 2021 to 30,000 kits from the previous year.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/french-e85-ethanol-consumption-rose-33-2021-producers-say-2022-01-25/ |title=French motorists guzzle more ethanol as gasoline prices surge |agency=Reuters |work=www.reuters.com |date=January 25, 2022 |accessdate=January 25, 2022}}</ref> E85 was launched in the [[United Kingdom]] on March 14 2006 by the [[Morrisons]] supermarket chain. The Morrisons branch in [[Norwich]] was the first forecourt to introduce E85.<ref>{{cite news |title=UK Gets its First Retail E85 Pumps |url=https://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/03/uk_gets_its_fir.html |access-date=29 December 2022 |work=Green Car Congress}}</ref> Take-up however was very low and E85 is now only available at a small number of outlets.


==US price regulation==
The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 created the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) to subsidize production costs. The 2008 Farm Bill reduced the VEETC's 51-cent tax credit to 45 cents. Other measures taken by Congress to jump start ethanol production include the 2004 VEETC bill, which provided for a Small Ethanol Producer Tax Credit which gave tax credits to small ethanol producers. More recently, the Tax Relief Act, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization Act, and Job Creation Act of 2010 extended the tax cuts allowed by VEETC from the end of 2010 to the end of 2012.<ref name=IFER>{{Cite web |url=https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/biofuel/epa-pushes-ethanol-on-american-consumers/ |title=EPA Pushes Ethanol on American Consumers |date=March 28, 2011}}</ref> In the United States, to realize equivalent fuel economy at the pump with an FFV, the price of E85 must be much lower than gasoline. E85 was at least 20% less expensive in most areas as recently as 2011. In one US test, a 2007 Chevy Tahoe FFV averaged 18.3 MPG (U.S. gallons) for gasoline and 13.5 MPG for E85, 26.5% worse than gasoline. However, in Australia, where Holden has sold more than 70,000 FFVs since 2010, the difference in combined consumption on similar V8 variants in a family sedan is between 10% and 20%. In 2010, the cost of fuel in the US averaged US$3.42, while the cost for E85 averaged US$3.09, or 90% of the cost of gasoline.<ref name=edmunds>{{cite web |url=http://www.edmunds.com/advice/alternativefuels/articles/120863/article.html |title=E85 vs Gasoline Comparison test |publisher=Edmunds.com |access-date=2010-12-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101109194126/http://www.edmunds.com/advice/alternativefuels/articles/120863/article.html |archive-date=2010-11-09}}</ref><ref name=desmoinesregister>{{cite news |url=http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060827/OPINION03/608250397/1035/OPINION |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130110210044/http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060827/OPINION03/608250397/1035/OPINION |url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-01-10|title=Ethanol: The facts, the questions &#124; desmoinesregister.com |newspaper=The Des Moines Register |access-date=2010-04-04}}</ref> In another test, however, a fleet of [[Ford Taurus]]es averaged only about 6% fewer miles per gallon in ethanol-based vehicles when compared to traditional, gas-powered Tauruses.<ref name=vehiclesandfuels>{{cite web |url=http://www.nrel.gov/vehiclesandfuels/fleettest/pdfs/ohio6.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041030071342/http://www.nrel.gov/vehiclesandfuels/fleettest/pdfs/ohio6.pdf |title=Ohio's First Ethanol-Fueled Light-Duty Fleet |archive-date=October 30, 2004}}</ref>


==See also==
Fuel AFRst FARst Equivalence Lambda
{{portal|energy}}
---- ----- ----- Ratio -----
*[[Alcohol fuel]]
=========================================================================
*[[Earth's atmosphere]]
Gasoline stoich 14.7 0.068 1 1
*[[Lambda sensor]] – also known as an oxygen sensor, used to measure lean versus rich combustion conditions
Gasoline Max power rich 12.5 0.08 1.176 0.8503
*[[Methanol]] – wood alcohol, not to be confused with ethanol (grain alcohol)
Gasoline Max power lean 13.23 0.0755 1.111 0.900
*[[Timeline of alcohol fuel]]


==References==
=========================================================================
{{reflist|30em}}
E85 stoich 9.765 0.10235 1 1
E85 Max power rich 6.975 0.1434 1.40 0.7143
E85 Max power lean 8.4687 0.118 1.153 0.8673


==Further reading==
=========================================================================
*[http://www.afdc.energy.gov/uploads/publication/ethanol_handbook.pdf Handbook for Handling, Storing, and Dispensing E85 and Other Ethanol-Gasoline Blends] September 2013, US Department of Energy
E100 stoich 9.0 0.111 1 1
*[http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2007/06/flexfuel.html Flex-Fuel Bait and Switch] - See how many flex-fuel cars are on the road and how many stations offer E85. Center for American Progress
E100 Max power rich 6.429 0.155 1.4 0.714
*Eric Kvaalen, Philip C. Wankat, Bruce A. McKenzie. [https://web.archive.org/web/20051013085525/http://www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/AE/AE-117.html ethanol Distillation: Basic Principles, Equipment, Performance Relationships, and Safety] Purdue University, April 1984.
E100 Max power lean 7.8 0.128 1.15 0.870
*Matthew Phenix. [https://web.archive.org/web/20060313212816/http://www.popsci.com/popsci/automotivetech/564c1196aeb84010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html Liquor Does It Quicker.] ''[[Popular Science]]'', June 2005.
=======================--================================================
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041030071342/http://www.nrel.gov/vehiclesandfuels/fleettest/pdfs/ohio6.pdf Ohio E85 Fleet Test Results]{{dead link|date=October 2010}}
* [http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/ert/new-fuel/files/afrw/afrw-all.pdf Properties of ethanol Transportation Fuels] - USDOE Report,
* [http://hawaii.gov/dbedt/ert/new-fuel/files/afrw/afrw-01.pdf Alcohol Fuels Reference Work #1, July 1991 (Especially Chapter 7 for corrosion and increased engine wear risks associated with water-contaminated E85)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704203122/http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/ert/new-fuel/files/afrw/afrw-01.pdf |date=2008-07-04 }}
* [http://www.engin.umd.umich.edu/research/undergraduate/reports/REUReport5-EmissionsE0-E85-2004.doc.pdf University of Michigan E85 Emissions Report]{{dead link|date=October 2010}}
* [http://www.michigan.gov/documents/CIS_EO_Control_of_Emissions-E85-Final_AF-E-_87915_7.pdf University of Michigan E85 Control of Emissions Report]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050921023710/http://www.engr.unl.edu/~ethanol/unl-sae2.pdf University of Nebraska-Lincoln Report on E85 Conversion of Silverado Pickup]
*[https://goyellowlivegreen.com/content/welcome-go-yellow-live-green LiveGreen GoYellow] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914165244/http://goyellowlivegreen.com/content/welcome-go-yellow-live-green |date=2017-09-14 }}
*[http://www.transportation.anl.gov/pdfs/TA/349.pdf Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Impacts of Fuel Ethanol Argonne National Laboratory] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204221515/http://www.transportation.anl.gov/pdfs/TA/349.pdf |date=2012-02-04 }}


==External links==
*[http://www.ethanolflex.com/en/ French manufacturer of Ethanol E85 conversion kits]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050923232324/http://ethanol.org/documents/ACEFuelEconomyStudy.pdf American Coalition of Ethanol E10 - E30 Fuel Economy Study]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060922192848/http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/altfuel/ethanol.html U.S. DOE's Alternative Fuels Data Center - Ethanol]
* [http://www.epa.gov/otaq/presentations/gni-mjb-051303.pdf EPA Presentation] and [http://www.epa.gov/otaq/presentations/sae-2002-01-2743.pdf Technical paper] it is based upon.
* [http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/apr02/corn0402.htm USDA Ethanol Production Cost Reduction Announcement] - US Government Tax Subsidy to End in 2007
*[http://www.oilendgame.com/ Winning The Oil Endgame] Rocky Mountain Institute's fuel strategy
*[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-570288889128950913&q=engEDU Think Outside The Barrel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520085313/http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-570288889128950913&q=engEDU |date=2011-05-20 }} - Video of a talk by Vinod Khosla at Google TechTalks
*[http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2007/06/flexfuel.html Flex-fuel Bait and Switch] - See how many flex-fuel cars are on the road and how many fuel stations offer E85.
*[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19206199 US biofuel production should be suspended, UN says]


{{Bioenergy}}
The term AFRst refers to the Air Fuel Ratio under stoichiometric, or ideal air fuel ratio mixture conditions. (See [[stoichiometry]].)
{{Alternative propulsion}}
The "stoich" (common shorthand way to indicate stoichiometric) mixture typically burns too hot for any situation other than light load cruise. This is the target mixture that the ECU attempts to achieve in closed-loop fueling to get the best possible emissions and fuel mileage at light load cruise conditions. This mixture typically can give approximately 95% of the engine's best power, provided the fuel has sufficient octane to prevent damaging [[detonation internal combustion engine| detonation ]]( [[ engine knock |knock ]] ).
{{Automobile configuration}}


[[Category:Ethanol fuel]]
The "Max Power Rich" condition is the richest air fuel mixture (more fuel than best power) that gives both good drivability and power levels, within approximately 1% of the absolute best power on that fuel.

The "Max Power Lean" condition is the leanest air fuel mixture (less fuel than best power) that gives good drivability, acceptable exhaust gas temperatures to prevent engine damage, and power levels within approximately 1% of the absolute best power on that fuel.

Lambda, typically used for referring to lean versus rich air fuel mixtures, is normally measured by the so-called [[lambda sensor]] (also known as an oxygen sensor.)

==After-market Conversion Kits==
After-market conversion kits, for converting standard engines to operate on E85, are generally not legal in U.S. states subject to emissions controls, despite the fact that the exhaust emissions from such converted cars are improved by utilizing higher percentages of ethanol in the gasoline blend. Likewise, U.S. Federal law prohibits the manufacture of such conversion kits in the U.S., by a ban that dates to when conversion kits for converting vehicles to use compressed natural gas was enacted to prevent the sale of such conversion kits due to concern about the safety of such conversion kits being released among the general public. Still, there is one Brazilian after-market kit available legally in U.S. states not subject to emission controls that will nonetheless permit the conversion of 4, 6, or 8 cylinder engines to operate from fuels ranging from pure gasoline to a mix of gasoline and ethanol to pure ethanol, including E85. It operates by modifying the fuel-injection pulses sent to the fuel injectors, thereby extending the control range over which the ECU can adjust the air-fuel ratio to achieve an oxygen sensor reading measured before the catalytic converter that falls within nominal gasoline-burning limits.

== See also ==
* [[Air-fuel ratio]]
* [[Alcohol fuel]]
* [[Common alcohol fuel mixtures]] &ndash; common ratios other than 85%/15%.
* [[Lambda sensor]] &ndash; also known as an oxygen sensor, used to measure lean versus rich combustion conditions
* [[Stoichiometry]] &ndash; thermodynamics issues for obtaining the proper air fuel mixture for complete combustion
* [[Timeline of alcohol fuel]]

== External links ==
* [http://www.newwavecars.com/ E85, Ethanol & Alternative Fuel Cars]
* [http://www.ethanol.org/documents/ACEFuelEconomyStudy.pdf E85 Fuel Economy Study]
* [http://e85vehicles.com/e85-stations.htm E85 Gas Stations]
* [http://www.epa.gov/otaq/presentations/gni-mjb-051303.pdf EPA Presentation]
* [http://www.epa.gov/otaq/presentations/sae-2002-01-2743.pdf EPA Technical Paper] Summarized in EPA Presentation.
* [http://www.ABCesso.santu.com/ FlexTek E85 Aftermarket Conversion Kit] The Brazilian after-market E85 Conversion Kit (4, 6, 8 cylinder engines.)
* [http://www.e85fuel.com/ National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition]
* [http://www.ne-ethanol.org/facts/e85.htm Nebraska Ethanol Board - Ethanol Facts: E85]
* [http://www.nrel.gov/vehiclesandfuels/fleettest/pdfs/ohio6.pdf Ohio E85 Fleet Test Results]
* [http://www.engin.umd.umich.edu/research/undergraduate/reports/REUReport5-EmissionsE0-E85-2004.doc.pdf University of Michigan E85 Emissions Report]
* [http://www.michigan.gov/documents/CIS_EO_Control_of_Emissions-E85-Final_AF-E-_87915_7.pdf University of Michigan E85 Control of Emissions Report]
* [http://www.engr.unl.edu/~ethanol/unl-sae2.pdf University of Nebraska-Lincoln Report on E85 Conversion of Silverado Pickup]
* [http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=803341 Turbocharger use of E85.] (Personal account of a conversion experiment using E85 in a turbocharged car.)

==References==
*Matthew Phenix. [http://www.popsci.com/popsci/automotivetech/564c1196aeb84010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html Liquor Does It Quicker.] ''[[Popular Science]]'', [[June 2005]].
[[Category:Engine technology]]
[[Category:Flexible-fuel vehicles]]
[[Category:Petroleum products]]
[[Category:Petroleum products]]
[[Category:Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2006]]

[[Category:All articles containing potentially dated statements]]
[[fr:E85 (carburant)]]
[[sv:E85 (bränsle)]]

Latest revision as of 14:45, 7 September 2024

For other uses, see E85 (disambiguation).
Further information: Ethanol fuel in the United States and Biofuel in the United States
Logo used in the United States for E85 fuel

E85 is an abbreviation typically referring to an ethanol fuel blend of 85% ethanol fuel and 15% gasoline or other hydrocarbon by volume.

In the United States, the exact ratio of fuel ethanol to hydrocarbon may vary according to ASTM 5798 that specifies the allowable ethanol content in E85 as ranging from 51% to 83%.[1] This is due to the lower heating value of neat ethanol making it difficult to start engines in relatively cold climates without pre-heating air intake, faster cranking, or mixing varying fractions of gasoline according to climate. Cold starting in cold climates is the primary reason ethanol fuel is blended with any gasoline fraction.

In Brazil, ethanol fuel is neat at the pumps, hence flexible-fuel vehicles (FFV) including trucks, tractors, motorbikes and mopeds run on E100. The 85% fraction is commonly sold at pumps worldwide (outside the US), and when specifically supplied or sold as E85 is always 85% ethanol (at pumps or in barrel). Having a guaranteed ethanol fraction obviates the need for a vehicle system to calculate best engine tune accordingly to maximise performance and economy.

In countries like Australia where E85 is always[citation needed] 85% ethanol (and pump fuel with varying fractions is called "flex fuel"), performance motoring enthusiasts and motor racing clubs/championships use E85 extensively (without the need for any FFV certification)[citation needed]. Use of alcohol (ethanol and methanol) in motor racing history parallels the invention of the automobile, favoured due to inherent combustion characteristics such as high thermal efficiency, high octane rating, raised torque and with some advanced engines, better specific fuel consumption. In the United States, government subsidies of ethanol in general and E85 in particular have encouraged a growing infrastructure for the retail sale of E85, especially in corn growing states in the Midwest.[citation needed]

Fuel economy

[edit]

Specific fuel consumption

[edit]

E85 promoters and the Society of Automotive Engineers contend that automotive manufacturers currently fail to equal the fuel consumption of gasoline because they fail to take advantages of characteristics which are superior in ethanol-based fuel blends. They claim that some ethanol engines have already produced 22% more miles per gallon than identical gasoline engines.[2]

Ethanol advocates[who?] also state that it is a mistake to base ethanol engine design on gasoline engine design, and that ethanol engines should be based on diesel engine design parameters instead.[clarification needed] Using this approach, the EPA has produced an ethanol-only engine which achieves much higher brake thermal efficiency levels than gasoline engines achieve.[3] Mileage is dependent upon the composition of the ethanol-gasoline blend, transmission, state of engine tune (primarily fuel-air mixture, spark timing and compression ratio). In the United States to offset this difference in fuel consumption in vehicles not optimised for ethanol, legislation has been passed to subsidize its cost.

Energy value

[edit]

In contrast, ethanol critics[who?] contest the benefits of E85 by focusing on the fact that E85 has 33% lower heating value compared to the higher heating value of gasoline. However comparing energy expressed as a value of heat does not reflect the total work from an Otto Cycle[citation needed]. As energy content does not factor certain latent or specific heat values[citation needed], nor combustion pressure, looking at heat alone in the combustion equation does not determine efficiency or work according to the laws of thermodynamics.[citation needed]

Octane and performance

[edit]
E85 fuel dispenser at a regular gasoline station

Use in flexible-fuel vehicles

[edit]

E85 ethanol is used in engines modified to accept higher concentrations of ethanol. In the US such FFVs are designed to run on any mixture of gasoline or ethanol up to 85% ethanol, whereas in countries such as Brazil where the climate is typically warmer, FFVs run on neat alcohol. There are a few major differences between FFVs and non-FFVs. One is the elimination of bare magnesium, aluminum, and rubber parts in the fuel system. Fuel injection control systems have a wider range of pulse widths to inject up to 34% more fuel (which in turn produces more power). Stainless steel fuel lines, sometimes lined with plastic, and stainless-steel fuel tanks in place of terne (tinplate) fuel tanks have been used. In some cases, FFVs use specific engine oil that neutralises acidity. For vehicles with in-tank-mounted fuel pumps, precautions to prevent arcing, as well as flame arrestors positioned in the tank's fill pipe, are sometimes used.

Octane rating

[edit]

As more effort is put into maximizing an engine to take advantage of E85's higher octane rating, engines achieve greater power advantages. One car that has higher power on ethanol is the Koenigsegg CCXR, which on ethanol is the fifth-most powerful production car, with 20% more horsepower on E85 than on gasoline. According to the manufacturer, this is due to the cooling properties of ethanol. E85 has an octane rating higher than that of regular gasoline's typical rating of 87, or premium gasoline's 91-93. This allows it to be used in higher-compression engines, which tend to produce more power per unit of displacement than their gasoline counterparts. Examples of octane mis-citation can be found at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association titled "E85 Facts"[4] which cites a range of 100-105, and a document at the Texas State Energy Conservation Office titled "Ethanol",[5] which cites a 113 rating.

Some vehicles can be converted to use E85 despite not being specifically built for it. As the lower heating value E85 has a cooler intake charge—which, coupled with its high stability level from its high octane rating—has also been used as a "power adder" in turbocharged performance vehicles. These modifications have not only resulted in lower GHG emissions, but typically resulted in 10-12% power and torque increase at the wheels. Where the engine was previously knock limited by gasoline, power improvements are as high as 40%.

Due to its low price and high availability in certain areas people have started to turn to using it in place of high-end racing fuels, which typically cost over US $10.00/gal.[citation needed]

Emissions

[edit]

There are four primary types of pollutants scientists study. These emissions are hydrocarbons (HC), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2). As E85 is predominantly ethanol, the exhaust emissions are very different from those of regular gasoline. Numerous studies have compared and contrasted the different emissions and the effects these emissions have on the environment, but the tests have been inconclusive. The tests have shown very little consistency if any at all because there are too many variables involved. The make and model of the vehicle, the way in which the ethanol was produced and the vehicle's overall fuel efficiency all play a large role in the overall outcome of each study.[6] To address the problem of inaccuracy, engineers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory combined data from all applicable emissions studies and compiled them into one data set. This compiled set of data showed that on average all emissions that are federally regulated showed a decrease or no statistically relevant difference between E85 and gasoline.[7]

EPA's stringent tier-II vehicle emission standards require that FFVs achieve the same low emissions level regardless whether E85 or gasoline is used. However, E85 can further reduce emissions of certain pollutants as compared to conventional gasoline or lower-volume ethanol blends. For example, E85 is less volatile than gasoline or low-volume ethanol blends, which results in fewer evaporative emissions. Using E85 also reduces carbon-monoxide emissions and provides significant reductions in emissions of many harmful toxics, including benzene, a known human carcinogen. However, E85 in certain engine operating conditions may increase emissions of acetaldehyde. EPA is conducting additional analysis to expand our understanding of the emissions impacts of E85.[8]

Controversy

[edit]

Economics

[edit]

A study by Purdue University found that the economic benefit of E85 is highly dependent on the price of crude oil.[9]

Food vs. fuel

[edit]
Main article: Food vs. fuel

E85 critics contend that production of ethanol from corn (maize) drives up world food prices, causing corn to be unaffordable or even unavailable. E85 advocates counter that concern by pointing out that over 93% of all corn grown in the United States is never fed directly to people, but is instead used as livestock feed[citation needed]. Corn used to produce ethanol contains a high amount of starch and is not easily digestible by humans, like sweet corn. American farmers grow more corn than people purchase; there is an annual surplus of corn in the U.S.[10][obsolete source]

E85 advocates say that corn prices have increased due to manipulation of the commodities markets and because American corn companies sell more and more US-grown corn to Mexico and China, creating more competition for corn buyers, and therefore driving up its price. E85 critics contend that ethanol producers may not reduce carbon emissions due to the petroleum and natural gas used in raising corn and refining it. E85 advocates reply by pointing to ethanol producers who do not do so, but instead use E85 or biodiesel fuel to transport E85, and use biomass as a heat source for the distillation of ethanol instead of petro-products like natural gas.

Some say that cellulosic ethanol produced from waste materials or fast growing non-food crops such as switchgrass is much more beneficial, but not yet economically practical at large scale. Others say that the world can easily replace all of its use of petroleum by simply making ethanol from the many crops that yield more ethanol per acre than corn yields, with existing technology, not future technology,[11] and that certain elements in the cellulosic ethanol field are more interested in patent rights than in producing the greatest amount of ethanol at the lowest price point.

Availability and price

[edit]
See also: E85 in the United States and Corn ethanol
Opening of an E85 retail pump in Maryland

E85 is increasingly common in the United States, mainly in the Midwest where corn is a major crop and is the primary source material for ethanol-fuel production. As of July 1, 2014, there were more than 3,300 fuel stations that offered E85 fuel.[12] E85 as a fuel is widely used in Sweden; however, most of it is imported from Italy and Brazil. E85 was formerly available from the Maxol chain in Ireland, where it was made from whey, a byproduct of cheese manufacturing.[13] The availability ended in 2011, due to a severe excise-duty hike which rendered it economically unviable. In Finland E85 is available from 52 St1 chain locations and 71 ABC chain locations.[14][15] The E85 sold by St1 is labeled as RE85 and as "Eko E85" in ABC-stations to indicate it is manufactured from Finnish bio-waste.[16][17] By way of international price comparison, in the Cook Islands as with many of the Pacific Islands, cost of producing 100% ethanol from coconut biomass is a fraction of obtaining fossil fuels. In France, about 30% of gas stations supply E85, or about 2,725 stations, and the number of flex-fuel kits installed doubled in 2021 to 30,000 kits from the previous year.[18] E85 was launched in the United Kingdom on March 14 2006 by the Morrisons supermarket chain. The Morrisons branch in Norwich was the first forecourt to introduce E85.[19] Take-up however was very low and E85 is now only available at a small number of outlets.

US price regulation

[edit]

The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 created the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) to subsidize production costs. The 2008 Farm Bill reduced the VEETC's 51-cent tax credit to 45 cents. Other measures taken by Congress to jump start ethanol production include the 2004 VEETC bill, which provided for a Small Ethanol Producer Tax Credit which gave tax credits to small ethanol producers. More recently, the Tax Relief Act, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization Act, and Job Creation Act of 2010 extended the tax cuts allowed by VEETC from the end of 2010 to the end of 2012.[20] In the United States, to realize equivalent fuel economy at the pump with an FFV, the price of E85 must be much lower than gasoline. E85 was at least 20% less expensive in most areas as recently as 2011. In one US test, a 2007 Chevy Tahoe FFV averaged 18.3 MPG (U.S. gallons) for gasoline and 13.5 MPG for E85, 26.5% worse than gasoline. However, in Australia, where Holden has sold more than 70,000 FFVs since 2010, the difference in combined consumption on similar V8 variants in a family sedan is between 10% and 20%. In 2010, the cost of fuel in the US averaged US$3.42, while the cost for E85 averaged US$3.09, or 90% of the cost of gasoline.[21][22] In another test, however, a fleet of Ford Tauruses averaged only about 6% fewer miles per gallon in ethanol-based vehicles when compared to traditional, gas-powered Tauruses.[23]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ afdc.energy.gov, Handbook for Handling, Storing, and Dispensing E85 and Other Ethanol-Gasoline Blends. US Department of Energy. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  2. ^ Brusstar, M. (2002-10-21). "High Efficiency and Low Emissions from a Port-Injected Engine with Neat Alcohol Fuels". High Efficiency and Low Emissions from a Port-Injected Engine with Neat Alcohol Fuel. SAE Technical Paper Series. Vol. 1. SAE International. doi:10.4271/2002-01-2743.
  3. ^ US EPA/OAR/Office of Transportation & Air Quality/Advanced Technology Division and FEV Engine Technology; Inc. "Economical, High-Efficiency Engine Technologies for Alcohol Fuels"
  4. ^ Iowa Renewable Fuels Association "E85 Facts" Archived 2011-05-30 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Texas State Energy Conservation Office "Ethanol" Archived 2011-04-29 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, Vol. 59 (Issue 8)
  7. ^ Atmospheric Environment, Vol. 45, Issue 39
  8. ^ "SmartwayLogistics". www.epa.gov. December 8, 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-12-08.
  9. ^ "Economics of Ethanol" (PDF). Purdue University.
  10. ^ "U.S. Corn-Surplus Seen Larger Than Expected on Early Harvest - Bloomberg". Bloomberg L.P. 10 April 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  11. ^ Alcohol Can Be a Gas Blume, David 2007 Preheating; pp. 406–410, Advancement of Ignition Timing: pp. 404, 417-18, 530 Higher Compression with Ethanolpp. 70, 358-60, 415-19,429, 433-435
  12. ^ "E85 Prices". E85prices.com. July 1, 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-07-01.
  13. ^ "Maxol Bioethanol E85 leaflet" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-11-18. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
  14. ^ "RE85 - Tehokkaampi bioetanoli suomalaisesta jätteestä". St1.fi. Archived from the original on 2016-10-02. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
  15. ^ "ABC-asemat". Retrieved 2016-10-03.
  16. ^ "Suomi - RE85". St1.fi. Archived from the original on 2012-12-22. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  17. ^ "Eko E85 Fuel". Retrieved 2016-10-03.
  18. ^ "French motorists guzzle more ethanol as gasoline prices surge". www.reuters.com. Reuters. January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  19. ^ "UK Gets its First Retail E85 Pumps". Green Car Congress. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  20. ^ "EPA Pushes Ethanol on American Consumers". March 28, 2011.
  21. ^ "E85 vs Gasoline Comparison test". Edmunds.com. Archived from the original on 2010-11-09. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
  22. ^ "Ethanol: The facts, the questions | desmoinesregister.com". The Des Moines Register. Archived from the original on 2013-01-10. Retrieved 2010-04-04.
  23. ^ "Ohio's First Ethanol-Fueled Light-Duty Fleet" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 30, 2004.

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
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