The fleet of flexible-fuel vehicles in the United States is the second largest in the world after Brazil, and there were more than 21 million 85 flex-fuel vehicles registered in the country by the end of 2017. Despite the growing fleet of E85 flex-fuel vehicles, actual use of ethanol fuel is limited due to the lack of E85 refueling infrastructure and also because many North American flex-fuel car owners were not aware they owned an E85 flex-fuel vehicle. Flex-fuel vehicles are common in the Midwest, where corn is a major crop and is the primary feedstock for ethanol fuel production. Also the U.S. government has been using flex-fuel vehicles for many years.
U.S. flex-fuel vehicles are optimized to run on a maximum blend of 15% gasoline with 85% anhydrous ethanol (called E85 fuel). This limit in the ethanol content is set to reduce ethanol emissions at low temperatures and to avoid cold starting problems during cold weather, at temperatures lower than . The alcohol content is reduced during the winter in regions where temperatures fall below to a winter blend of E70.
History
The first commercial flexible fuel vehicle was the Ford Model T, produced from 1908 through 1927. It was fitted with a carburetor with adjustable jetting, allowing use of gasoline or ethanol, or a combination of both. Other car manufactures also provided engines for ethanol fuel use. Ethanol was disadvantaged by frequent accusations that ethanol producers collaborated with bootleggers during Prohibition. Oil dominance as a motor fuel was questioned in the U.S. only after the 1973 oil crisis, which resulted in gasoline shortages and awareness on the dangers of oil dependence. This crisis opened a new opportunity for ethanol, methanol and other alternative fuels. Also published in the Journal of Scientific & Industrial Research Vol. 62, January–February 2003, pp. 97-105
As a response to the shock caused by the first oil crisis, the U.S. government provided the initial support to develop alternative fuels, and some time later, also as a goal to improve air quality. Liquid fuels were preferred over gaseous fuels not only because they have a better volumetric energy density but also because they were the most compatible fuels with existing distribution systems and engines, thus avoiding a big departure from the existing technologies and taking advantage of the vehicle and the refueling infrastructure. California led the search of sustainable alternatives with interest focused in methanol. Ford Motor Company and other automakers responded to California's request for vehicles that run on methanol. In 1981, Ford delivered 40 dedicated methanol fuel (M100) Escorts to Los Angeles County, but only four refueling stations were installed. The biggest challenge in the development of alcohol vehicle technology was getting all of the fuel system materials compatible with the higher chemical reactivity of the fuel. Methanol was even more of a challenge than ethanol but much of the early experience gained with neat ethanol vehicle production in Brazil was transferable to methanol. The success of this small experimental fleet of M100s led California to request more of these vehicles, mainly for government fleets. In 1983, Ford built 582 M100 vehicles; 501 went to California, and the remaining to New Zealand, Sweden, Norway, United Kingdom, and Canada.
As an answer to the lack of refueling infrastructure, Ford began development of a flexible-fuel vehicle in 1982, and between 1985 and 1992, 705 experimental FFVs were built and delivered to California and Canada, including the 1.6L Ford Escort, the 3.0L Taurus, and the 5.0L LTD Crown Victoria. These vehicles could operate on either gasoline or methanol with only one fuel system. Legislation was passed to encourage the US auto industry to begin production, which started in 1993 for the M85 FFVs at Ford. In 1996, a new FFV Ford Taurus was developed, with models fully capable of running on either methanol or ethanol blended with gasoline. This ethanol version of the Taurus became the first commercial production of an E85 FFV. Original source: 1996 North American International Auto Show Press Release The momentum of the FFV production programs at the American car companies continued, although by the end of the 1990s, the emphasis shifted to the FFV E85 version, as it is today. Ethanol was preferred over methanol because there is a large support from the farming community, and thanks to the government's incentive programs and corn-based ethanol subsidies. Support for ethanol also comes from the fact that it is a biomass fuel, which addresses climate change concerns and greenhouse gas emissions, though nowadays these benefits are questioned and depend on the feedstock used for ethanol production and their indirect land use change impacts. Originally published online in Science Express on 7 February 2008. Originally published online in Science Express on 7 February 2008. There are rebuttals to these findings for assuming a worst-case scenario
Technology and production +E85 FFVs Manufactured and in Use in the United States 1998-2018Year Light-DutyE85 FFVs sold/leased See Tables 6.1 Light-DutyE85 FFVs net annualincrease* Total fleetE85 FFVsin use 1998 216,165 144,000 144,000 1999 426,724 306,149 450,148 2000 600,832 456,947 907,096 2001 581,774 466,203 1,373,299 2002 834,976 700,719 2,074,018 2003 859,261 750,437 2,824,455 2004 674,678 609,437 3,433,892 2005 735,693 683,217 4,117,109 2006 1,011,399 960,287 5,077,396 2007 1,115,069 1,076,902 6,154,298 2008 1,175,345 1,149,389 7,303,687 2009 805,777n.a. 2010 1,484,945n.a. 2011 2,116,273n.a. 2012 2,466,966n.a. 2013 2,665,470 n.a. 2014 2,433,113 n.a. 2015 1,881,500 n.a. 2016 1,272,091 n.a. 2017 1,150,097 n.a. 2018 813,774 n.a. Total21,790,445 Note: * Net increase is new FFVs manufactured discounted by the survival rate (less attrition). Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory Only includes vehicles "made available" for sale or lease of a new AFV Click to download the Excel file "10299_AFV_available.xlsx.
, there were more than 21 million E85 flex-fuel vehicles in the United States, up from about 11 million flex-fuel cars and light trucks in operation as of early 2013. The number of flex-fuel vehicles on U.S roads increased from 1.4 million in 2001, to 4.1 million in 2005, and rose to 7.3 million in 2008.
E85 flex-fuel vehicles are becoming increasingly common in the Midwest, where corn is a major crop and is the primary feedstock for ethanol fuel production. Also the US government has been using flex-fuel vehicles for many years. Since 2008 almost any type of automobile and light duty vehicles is available in the market with the flex-fuel option, including sedans, vans, SUVs and pick-up trucks. For the 2011 model year there are about 70 vehicles E85 capable.
The E85 blend is used in gasoline engines modified to accept such higher concentrations of ethanol, and the fuel injection is regulated through a dedicated sensor, which automatically detects the amount of ethanol in the fuel, allowing to adjust both fuel injection and spark timing accordingly to the actual blend available in the vehicle's tank.
The American E85 flex fuel vehicle was developed to run on any mixture of unleaded gasoline and ethanol, anywhere from 0% to 85% ethanol by volume. Both fuels are mixed in the same tank, and E85 is sold already blended. In order to reduce ethanol evaporative emissions and to avoid problems starting the engine during cold weather, the maximum blend of ethanol was set to 85%. There is also a seasonal reduction of the ethanol content to E70 (called winter E85 blend) in very cold regions, where temperatures fall below during the winter. In Wyoming for example, E70 is sold as E85 from October to May.
Fuel economy Because ethanol contains close to 34% less energy per unit volume than gasoline, E85 FFVs have a lower mileage per gallon than gasoline.http://www.eere.energy.gov Energy.gov site http://www.eia.doe.gov Alternative Fuel Efficiencies in Miles per Gallon However, this lower energy content does not translate directly into a 34% reduction in miles per U.S. gallon, because there are many other variables that affect the performance of a particular fuel in a particular engine, though for E85 the effect becomes significant. E85 will produce lower mileage than gasoline, and actual performance may vary depending on the vehicle. Based on EPA EPA-rated mileage for all 2006 E85 models, the average fuel economy for E85 vehicles was 25.56% lower than unleaded gasoline. When making price comparisons it has to be considered that E85 has octane rating of about 104 and could be used as a substitute for premium gasoline.
Regional retail E85 prices vary widely across the US, with more favorable prices in the Midwest region, where most corn is grown and ethanol produced. As of early November 2010, the US average spread between the price of E85 and gasoline was 13.4%, while in Indiana was 10.1%, in Minnesota 20.3%, 18.3% in Wisconsin, just 2% in Maryland, 16.3% in California, and 7% in Utah. Depending on the vehicle capabilities, the break even price of E85 has to be between 25 and 30% lower than gasoline. (See price comparisons for most states at e85prices.com)
For the 2011 model year many of the models available are trucks and sport-utility vehicles that get less than when filled with gasoline. The following table compares fuel economy, carbon footprint, and petroleum consumption for several popular gasoline-powered vehicles and their flex-fuel versions:
Economic and environmental performance comparison among U.S.gasoline-powered automobiles and light duty vehicles and their flex-fuel versions Vehicle Type ofvehicleYearmodel EPA City mileage(mpg)EPA Highway mileage(mpg)Annualfuelcost (1) (2)(USD) Carbonfootprint(Ton/yr of CO2) (3) Annual Petroleum Use(barrel)Chevrolet Impala Automatic 4-spd, 6 cyl, 3.9LGasoline 2011 17 27 $2,013 8.9 16.3 E85 FFV 2011 13 20 $2,421 7.1 5.3Ford Fusion AWD Automatic (S6), 6 cyl, 3.0LGasoline 2011 18 26$2,1159.317.1 E85 FFV 2011 13 19$2,4217.15.3Ford Escape 4WD Automatic 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.0LGasoline 2011 18 23$2,1159.317.1 E85 FFV 2011 13 17$2,5927.65.7Cadillac Escalade (SUV) AWD Automatic 6-spd, 8 cyl, 6.2LGasoline 2011 13 18$2,82112.422.8 E85 FFV 2011 10 14$3,0248.86.7Dodge Ram 1500 Pickup 4WD Automatic 5-spd, 8 cyl, 4.7LGasoline 2011 13 18$2,82112.422.8 E85 FFV 2011 9 12$3,63010.68.0Notes: (1) Estimates assumes 45% highway driving, 55% city driving, and 15,000 annual miles. (2) Average U.S. prices: $2.82/gallon for gasoline, and $2.42/gallon for E85 fuel. E85 prices vary widely by region. As of early November 2010 the minimum price was $2.02/gallon in Illinois and the maximum price was $2.99/gallon in New York. (3) Direct carbon footprint only anddoes not account for any potential indirect land use change impacts of biofuels.
Pollution The demand for ethanol fuel produced from field corn in the United States was stimulated by the discovery in the late 90s that methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), an oxygenate additive in gasoline, was contaminating groundwater. Due to the risks of widespread and costly litigation, and because MTBE use in gasoline was banned in almost 20 states by 2006, the substitution of MTBE opened a new market for ethanol fuel. This shift also contributed to a sharp increase in the production and sale of E85 flex vehicles since 2002. Ethanol also replaces toxic, air-polluting substances such as benzene, toluene, and xylene. Numerous states require certain ethanol blends to reduce air pollution. Ethanol produces about 34% less air pollution than gasoline on average.