Ethanol also known as ethyl alcohol is being produced in the United States from corn. It is the same grain alcohol used in making whiskey and moonshine. Pure ethanol burns with a colorless flame and could be a safety hazard. E85 is a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline and is sold as a fuel. E85 is starting to be available in more filling stations across the nation.

E85 is considered an alternative fuel and Gasohol or E10 is not considered an alternative fuel. This is because Gasohol only has 10% Ethanol and 90% gasoline. Ethanol can be produced from domestic feedstock and does not have to be imported like petroleum. If Ethanol was used by millions of vehicles it could make a dramatic impact on the United States dependence on imported oil. Another benefit is that it is a renewable biofuel that has modest reductions of harmful emissions.

A FFV is a flexible fuel vehicle which automakers developed so a vehicle can be run on E85, gasoline or a combination of the two. The reason for this is because there is a limited availability of E85 at gas stations. The FFV’s first came out in the 1990’s, however most of these models have never had E85 in their fuel tanks. This is because even though the number of E85 filling stations is increasing there are still very few places where you can get this alternative fuel.

Usually you will not notice any difference when you are operating a vehicle on E85 instead of gasoline. Ethanol produces less energy than gasoline but has a higher octane rating. Currently, E85 is more expensive than gasoline because of the added expense of blending it with gasoline. These are just a few facts you should know if you are considering using E85 as an alternative fuel.