 | Nate Evans is a 4th generation owner and operator of Evans Motors located in Pittsburg and Girard. Evans Motors has been in business and serving the area since 1935. For more information call 1-888-414-3890 or visit www.evansmotors.net. |
Cars, Trucks, Vans & Automotive
2011-02-01 14:24:00
Explaining flex fuels
Answer: FlexFuel vehicles (FFVs) are designed to run on gasoline, or a gasoline and ethanol blend (E85), which is stored in one tank, as opposed to two separate tanks as in bi-fuel vehicles. The fuel systems are nearly identical to gasoline only models, with only slight modifications.
E85 Ethanol is a high-octane, domestically produced renewable fuel. It is primarily made from corn although additional sources are being explored. The advantage to using E85 is that it reduces the dependence on petroleum and reduces greenhouse gases.
FFVs experience no loss in performance when operating on E85 because E85 ethanol has a higher octane rating than gasoline, which allows for more horsepower and torque. However, since ethanol contains less energy per volume than gasoline, FFVs typically get about 25-30% fewer miles per gallon when fueled with E85.
As far as the cost of the fuel in comparison to gasoline, that is a little more difficult. Like any fuel, it can vary according to area and is subject to the rise and fall of the market. However, the price is much less subject to the dramatic rise in price as you regularly see in petroleum. There are several stations in the area offering E85 and the prices are very comparable.
