Ever stomped your foot like a spoiled child at the current gas prices? You’re certainly not alone, and it’s obvious that an alternative fuel source needs to be found. The question remains, however, will we even be able to find something cheaper?
E-85, or Ethanol alcohol in the form of fuel, is an alternative source of energy that is already available. Most average drivers are not aware that around 6 million cars already on the road can run on E-85 as a fuel source. These types of vehicles are called “flex-fuel” autos, meaning they can run on a fuel mixture of 85% E-85 and 15% gasoline. However, there is one very big setback. An auto using E-85 at this current point in time costs more money than an automobile running on gasoline. This is due to the fact that E-85 produces less energy than gasoline, meaning a car running on E-85 will get fewer miles per gallon. The current cost of E-85 is pretty close to the average gas prices as mentioned before. Another big problem is that E-85 fueling stations are not as abundant and are only prominent in the northern corn-growing states such as Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota. They are not generally found at all in the southern states where corn is harder to grow.
Pros of running an auto on E-85 fuel are: the dependency of imported petroleum will drop around 85% if most drivers switch to a flex-fuel auto, meaning less money will go overseas; consumers will not have to pay a premium for a flexible fuel model; and the fuel source is completely renewable. Adversely, some cons of running an auto on E-85 fuel are: fewer miles per gallon; there is a chance that global food supply could be affected negatively; and the environmental hazards of burning E-85 are still unknown.
E-85 prices will come down over time, however, if the fuel source is more widely adopted. If we all do our part in purchasing flex-fuel autos, our total dependency on foreign petroleum and oil will drop a considerable amount.
