Facts & Tips from the U.S. Department of Energy Crop-Fed Cars Hit The Highways (NAPSA)—A popular new fuel, E85, could help put the brakes on America’s foreign-oil dependency. The Department of Energy pro- vides these answers to some frequently asked questions about the fuel: Q: What is E85 and whatareits benefits? A: E85 is a fuel that is 85 per- cent ethanol (distilled from American corn, as well as nongrain crops) and only 15 percent gasoline. It is high octane and has a higher performance level than some gasolines—it can boost some vehicle’s horsepower by up to 5 percent—andit’s also domestically produced and clean burning. In fact, government tests show vehi- More than six million U.S. cars are designed to run on fuel made mostly from corn and other crops. ible fuel vehicle (FFV). An FF'Vis a vehicle designed to run on regular unleaded gasoline or any ethanol fuel blend up to 85 percent. Visit www.e8dfuel.com/e85101/flexfuel cles running on E85 reduce harmful emissions when compared with vehicles.php for a complete list of Q: Why use ethanol? A: Ethanol provides plenty of horsepower with relatively little including models from Ford, GM gasoline. pollution. Because it is typically produced from corn and other FFVs and to see if your car is flexfuel ready. To date, there are about six million FFVs on the road, and Chrysler. Q: What’s the difference grain products and other nongrain materials, the fuel is biodegradable between an FF'V and a gasolineonly vehicle? Also, because it is produced domes- part that differs from gasolineonly cars: the fuel sensor that and does not contaminate water. tically, ethanol use increases the value of feed grains grown by U.S. farmers. Q: How much does E85 cost? A: Typically, E85 is priced to be competitive with 87-octane gasoline. President Bush has launched an initiative to make much more ethanol from many other sources too, like trees and prairie grasses. As this research continues and these newer ethanol plants are built, ethanol looks to be an affordable, sustainable way to cut reliance on imported fuels. Q: Can my car run on E85? A: Not every car can use E85. You must have what’s called a flex- A: FFVs have just one major detects the ethanol/gasoline ratio. Also, an FFV’s fuel tank, fuel lines, fuel injectors, computer sys- tem, anti-siphon device and dashboard gauges are all modified slightly compared to gasoline-only vehicles. FFVs are generally available at little or no additional cost compared to gasoline-only models—and they carry the same warranties. Q: Wherecan I get E85? A: Visit www.e85fuel.com/data base/search.php for a complete list of E85 sites. More stations are being added each week. To learn more, visit www. eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels.
