Relief at the Pump for Drivers? E85 makes a Comeback

May 28, 2013 |

E85’s limited distribution places limits on its impact

In reality, there are around 3,000 E85 pumps at the US’s 110,000+ gasoline stations, and there are, at present, around 10 million flex-fuel vehicles in 250 million passenger vehicle fleet.

So, for the present, E85 should be seen as a fuel option that extends the blend wall, rather than solving it. Even if every flex-fuel enabled car switched exclusively to E85 ethanol — and there are practical limits on the availability of pumps — the blend wall would be extended by 4.1 billion gallons (the difference between E10 and E85 ethanol gallonage, based on an average of 500 gallons per car per year).

The bottom line

But offering better fuel economy, in cost per mile, will go a long ways towards making E85, at last, a reality. As the US moves towards a goal of 52 mpg vehicles by 2025 — many scenarios point towards high-octane fuels to give the engines more fuel efficiency — making affordable E85 an even more important potential discussion point in the mix. Making this a trend to watch to see if it has market impact.

And someone at Absolute Energy ought to receive a “renewable fuel marketing” medal.

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