Ethanol-backers think Valley will soon have E85 pumps

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One official said ethanol can replace 10 percent of gasoline used by 2015.

By DON SHILLING

VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR

AUSTINTOWN — Area residents can buy vehicles to run on highly concentrated ethanol fuel, but no stations carry the fuel, called E85.

That is about to change, ethanol supporters predicted at a seminar Thursday.

Sam Spofforth, executive director of Clean Fuels Ohio, said he hopes a station in the Youngstown area will agree to carry E85 by the end of this year.

Spofforth said he expects about 20 stations statewide to begin carrying E85 by the end of 2006 and 50 by the end of 2007. Only four stations in Ohio now carry the specialized blend, with the closest in Wooster.

General Motors Corp., the Ohio Department of Development and ethanol backers held the seminar at Greenwood Hummer in Austintown to inform the press and area car dealers about E85.

The fuel is a blend of 85 percent ethanol, which is made mostly from corn, and 15 percent gasoline.

Ethanol has been a gasoline additive for some time, with much of the fuel sold in Ohio containing a blend with 10 percent ethanol. Vehicles can run on a low percentage of ethanol without special adaptations.

The E85 fuel requires vehicles to have special fuel systems, but GM said they don't add anything to the cost of a vehicle.

Dick Scott, service director at Stupka Motors in Hermitage, Pa., said after the seminar that customers are starting to ask about the fuel. Others have bought vehicles capable of using E85 but probably forgot they had them because there aren't any E85 pumps in the region, he said.

GM plans to notify owners of "flex fuel" vehicles made in 2005 and 2006 that they can bring them to a dealer to receive a "flex fuel" plate and a yellow gas cap that says the vehicle can be run either on gasoline or E85. New "flex fuel" vehicles from GM have both the plate and cap.

GM's first "flex fuel" vehicles were sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks but recently it added Chevrolet Impalas and Monte Carlos to the list.

Speakers said the benefits of using E85 are reduced dependence on foreign oil and cleaner burning emissions.

Promoting the switch

Tadd Nicholson, director of programs for the Ohio Corn Growers Association, stressed that supporters view ethanol as one of many alternative fuel options that should be explored. He estimated that ethanol can replace 10 percent of gasoline used in this country by 2015.

State legislators tried to give ethanol a boost last month by passing a bill that will provide $1 million for the creation of E85 stations. The state's Office of Energy Efficiency will begin accepting applications for grants in November.

The conversion of a pump from gasoline to E85 costs between $3,000 to $12,000, said Jim Zuber, energy specialist for the state.

Spofforth said ethanol backers have spoken to companies that sell gasoline in this area, and he hopes at least one will add E85 soon.

Jeremy Leanderson, fleet account executive with GM, said the company has spoken with Wal-Mart, and he thinks E85 coming to the retailer's gas stations is "just around the corner."

Nicholson said E85 usually costs between 30 cents and 40 cents less per gallon than gasoline.

On the negative side, E85 provides fuel economy of between 10 percent and 20 percent less than gasoline, Leanderson said. But E85 carries an octane rating of 104 so "flex fuel" vehicles perform better than gasoline-powered vehicles in terms of horsepower and torque, he said.

Leanderson encouraged the dealers to learn about the advantages of "flex fuel" vehicles and stock them on their lots.

"The E85 pumps are coming, and you want the customers to be able to use them," he said.

Shilling@vindy.com

Thursday, August 10, 2006