From the Model T to Today
Ethanol has been used in cars since Henry Ford designed his 1908 model T to operate on alcohol. Since then, trillions of miles have been driven on ethanol fuel. Ethanol is a preferred fuel because of its high octane and exceptional performance.
Learn more at www.ethanolrfa.org.
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Flex Fuel Vehicles
Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFVs): These vehicles are specifically designed to be able to run on any ethanol-blended fuel ranging from unleaded gasoline (0% ethanol) to E85 (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline). FFVs also have the ability to run on mid-level blends, fuel that is blended with ethanol less than 85%, such as E20, E30 and E40. If you drive an FFV, you can pretty much fill your tank anywhere, no matter what the ethanol blend is! To date, there are more than eight million FFVs operating on America’s roadways. Check your owner’s manual to discover if you’re driving a Flex Fuel Vehicle. if so, you have a wide range of fuel choices at the pump.
Ethanol by The Numbers
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The 14.3 billion gallons of ethanol produced in 2014:
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Added $52.7 billion to the national GDP
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Sustained 83,949 direct jobs and 295, 265 indirect/induced jobs
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Added $26.7 billion to household income
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Contributed $10.3 billion in federal, state and local tax revenue
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According to energy economist Phillip K. Verleger, Jr., former advisor to Presidents Ford and Carter: “The U.S. renewable fuels program has cut annual consumer expenditures in 2013 between $700 billion and $2.6 trillion. This translates to consumers paying between $0.50 and $1.50 per gallon less for gasoline.”
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Better for the Environment
The amount of energy required to make a gallon of ethanol has fallen 36% since 1995, while electricity use is down 38%. At the same time, producers are squeezing 12% more ethanol out of every bushel of corn. Water usage in ethanol production has been cut in half since 1998. Ethanol is a clean-burning octane enhancer. Oil companies add cancer-causing toxics such as benzene, toluen and xylene to gasoline to increase octane. These substances do not burn completely in the engine, resulting in particulate matter that leave the exhaust and enters the air we breathe. More ethanol in our fuel reduces the level of these toxics in gasoline—and improves human health. Ethanol rapidly biodegrades in surface water, groundwater and soil-and is the safest component in gasoline today.