Why Use Ethanol?

Ethanol is the cleanest and most affordable source of octane on the planet.

The higher the octane rating or octane number, the higher the performance of a fuel. Ethanol’s octane rating of 112 is significantly higher than straight gasoline’s octane rating of 85. Minimum octane number requirements prevent engine knocking and maintain drivability.

More than 97 percent of U.S. gasoline contains ethanol, typically in a mixture called E10, which is ten percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline. In addition to preventing engine knock, octane oxygenates the fuel, burns cooler, and reduces air pollution.

Ethanol is cleaner burning than gasoline. In 2019, the use of ethanol in gas reduced CO2-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions by 54.1 million metric tons—the equivalent of removing 11.5 million cars from the road for an entire year.

Ethanol benefits consumers and their vehicles, our environment, rural communities, and our country’s economy.

+++

Sources : https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/energy/biofuels/energy-briefs/history-of-ethanol-production-and-policy

https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/pdf/sec10_7.pdf

https://afdc.energy.gov/data/10331

A renewable resource, ethanol is made from field corn, commonly used for livestock feed. This “grain alcohol” has been used for over a century as an engine fuel, including Henry Ford’s famous Model T. Despite rumors to the contrary, E15 is safe for all 2001 and newer cars, SUV’s, and light duty trucks. It is EPA approved and is the most widely tested fuel on the market.

Fun Fact: corn plants absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and store it the ground through a process called carbon sequestration, which further helps to clean the air we breathe.