There are lots of reasons to choose fuel enriched with ethanol the next time you’re at the pump. Whether you’re looking for great engine performance, want to do your part for the environment or are looking out for American jobs — ethanol delivers.

Gasoline enriched with ethanol performs in much the same way that regular gasoline does. It’s been in use for decades, with trillions of miles logged on vehicles all over the world. Plus ethanol-enriched gasoline actually surpasses regular gasoline in key performance categories!

Gasoline enriched with ethanol contains more oxygen — so it burns cleaner, leaving fewer deposits and keeping fuel injectors and intake valves cleaner. And there’s more.

Performance

	Auto manufacturers approve, and even recommend, fuel enriched with up to 10% ethanol for all cars.
	Flexible fuel vehicles are designed to run on E85 (85% ethanol and 15% gasoline) — the cleanest-burning, renewable fuel available today.
	By looking at your vehicle’s fuel cap, you can tell if it's a flexible-fuel vehicle — meaning it can run on regular gasoline, 10% ethanol-enriched fuel or E85.
	Fuel enriched with 10% ethanol is manufacturer-approved for use in small engines, including power equipment, motorcycles, snowmobiles, and outboard motors.
	Ethanol is the highest-performance fuel on the market, with an octane rating of 113.
	Ethanol-enriched fuel contains more oxygen — so it burns cleaner
	Fuel enriched with 10% ethanol burns cleaner, helping to remove leave gummy deposits in the fuel system, so engines can run with optimal performance.
	Enriching fuel with 10% ethanol helps it to burn cleaner and at a cooler temperature, which can add to engine longevity.
	Ethanol-enriched fuel can reduce pre-ignition problems (knocking/pinging).
	Tests have concluded that ethanol does not increase corrosion, nor will it harm any seals or valves.
	Ethanol-enriched gasoline meets all applicable vapor-pressure standards — to alleviate driving or starting problems in hot or cold weather.
	Ethanol-enriched gasoline can tolerate water contamination to a far greater degree than gasoline alone — it absorbs moisture and helps prevent gasoline freeze-up in cold weather.
	Today’s cars are built to run on fuel enriched with up to 10% ethanol and are warranted for its use.

Environment

	Ethanol is a clean-burning, renewable fuel.
	E85 is the cleanest burning fuel available on the market today.
	10% ethanol-enriched fuel reduces carbon monoxide better than any other gasoline — by as much as 30%.
	The use of 10% ethanol-enriched fuel reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 12 – 19% compared with conventional gasoline, according to Argonne National Laboratory.
	Ethanol reduces tailpipe fine particulate matter emissions by 50%. These emissions pose a threat to those with respiratory ailments.
	Ethanol is biodegradable, meaning it won't harm groundwater in the event of a spill.

Download the E10 brochure.

Most motorcycle, recreational vehicle and power equipment manufacturers allow the use of ethanol-enriched gasoline in their products without restriction. In fact, Harley-Davidson actually recommends the use of renewable, clean-air fuels such as ethanol-enriched gasoline. You should check your equipment’s owner’s manual for more information regarding the use of ethanol-enriched gasoline.

E85 (a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline) is available for use in flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs). This type of ethanol fuel has the highest oxygen content of any fuel available, making it burn more cleanly and more completely than any other fuel. Currently, it has a limited distribution — but is often 20 cents cheaper than regular gasoline. Those are reasons enough to check to see if your car, truck or SUV can run on E85! Just look in your owner’s manual or on your vehicle’s gas cap to see if you can fill up with this special ethanol fuel alternative.

Sure, ethanol is great for your car and better for the environment. But when you choose ethanol, you’re also doing your part to lessen our dependence on oil. The less oil we use, the less we have to worry about the stability and intentions of other countries when it comes to our nation’s fuel supply. Right now, ethanol production replaces gasoline that would require the use of 600,000 barrels of oil a day.

The United States currently imports about 37 million gallons of gasoline each day. Since 1970, Americans increased gasoline consumption from 12 billion gallons of fuel per year to more than 160 billion gallons of fuel per year. Ethanol is helping address the need for renewable fuel options — so someday we won’t have to worry about other countries holding the keys to our nation’s critical fuel supply.

	Ethanol-enriched fuels account for approximately 30% of all fuel sold in the United States.
	Ethanol is made from crops grown in America, primarily corn and milo.
	Today there are more than 95 ethanol plants across the country.
	Ethanol replaces gasoline that would require the use of 600,000 barrels of oil a day.
	Last year, the United States produced over 4.3 billion gallons of ethanol.
	The U.S. ethanol industry supported the creation of nearly 153,725 jobs in all sectors of the economy in 2005, boosting household income by $5.7 billion.
	U.S. ethanol production replaces about 46.7 million barrels of imported gasoline or crude oil each year — more than 14 billion gallons since 1978.
	In 2005, the use of ethanol reduced the U.S. trade deficit by $8.7 billion by eliminating the need to import 170 million barrels of oil.

Using ethanol-enriched fuel helps our economy, too — because it’s made from crops grown here in the United States.
Believe it or not, one bag of seed corn produces around 1,200 gallons of ethanol fuel. Which in turn, produces 12,000 gallons of 10 percent ethanol-enriched fuel. That means Americans drive 230,000 miles on one little bag of seed corn — which translates into less crude oil imports. And that’s good for our economy. By growing crops and producing ethanol, we create new jobs, boost local economies and expand the tax base. We’re spending our precious dollars right here at home where they can have a more positive impact on the economy.

Adding ethanol to gasoline helps increase the total volume of available transportation fuel in the United States — which helps moderate prices. A recent study by the Consumer Federation of America found that ethanol was helping consumers save money at the pump in areas where it was available.

Without ethanol:

	Gasoline prices would increase 14.6% in the short term (an increase of 29.2¢/gallon if gas were $2.00/gallon).
	Gasoline prices would increase 3.7% in the long term even after refiners built new capacity or secured alternative sources of supply (an increase of 7.4¢/gallon if gas were $2.00/gallon).
	Refiners would be forced to import more than 217,000 barrels per day of high-octane, clean-burning, gasoline-blending components.

Source: LECG, LLC, May 2004