There are millions of flex-fuel vehicles on American roads, capable of running on E85 with 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. The problem is finding gas stations outside the corn region of the Midwest that offers E85. California working on bringing more of these biofuel stations into the state through a $10.1 million grant from California Energy Commission to build more than 100 flex fuel E85 stations in the next four years. The contract went to Propel Fuels, which is dedicated to bringing ethanol and biodiesel stations through alliances with existing gas stations and dedicated biofuel stations throughout California, and eventually across the country.
There are about a million flex-fuel vehicles on California’s roads, and sometimes owners have forgotten their vehicle is any different than non-flex fuel versions. Awareness will increase as gasoline prices go up and more E85 pumps open up, costing less to fill up the tank. The state wants to see emissions reduce, along with importing foreign oil, so supporting alternative fuel stations, charging stations, and hydrogen highways, ties into the state’s initiatives. California has been big on ethanol for years, leading the way originally in making ethanol a gasoline additive that now makes up 10% of gasoline at fuel stations across the country.
