E85 is a motor fuel blend of up to 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. It is designed for use in Flexible Fuel Vehicles, or FlexFuel, called FFVs.
Ethanol is a clean-burning, high-octane biofuel that is produced from renewable sources, such as corn grown here in the U.S., helping reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy.
Pure, 100% ethanol is not generally used as a motor fuel; instead, ethanol is combined with unleaded gasoline. This is beneficial because the ethanol decreases fuel cost, increases the fuel’s octane rating and decreases gasoline’s harmful emissions.
FlexFuel Vehicles, also known as FFVs, are designed to run on gasoline, E85, or any combination of the two. The “Flexible” nature of the vehicle gives the driver the flexibility to switch back and forth between gasoline and E85 if E85 is not available in a certain location.
Ethanol contains more oxygen than gasoline. FFVs come equipped with an oxygen sensor which determines the amount of ethanol in the fuel at any time. It provides this information to the onboard computer, which then adjusts the engine to maximize efficiency and performance. The fuel may contain anywhere from zero to 85% ethanol.
FFVs are widely available and include sedans, minivans, SUVs and pickup trucks. According to the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, there are about seven million on the road today. General Motors, Daimler, Chrysler, Ford, Nissan, Mazda, Mercury and Isuzu all produce vehicles that run on E85.
If your vehicle is not an FFV and you accidentally use E85, you should consult your nearest dealer or repair shop. The primary difference between a FlexFuel Vehicle (FFV) and a gasoline-powered vehicle is that their computer modules are meant to read different amounts of oxygen within the fuel. E85 contains a higher amount of oxygen than gasoline, and FlexFuel Vehicles are made to read that higher amount. When a gasoline-powered vehicle reads a higher amount of oxygen, your “check engine light” may appear. Use of E85 is not recommended for standard gasoline engines.
Currently there are no automaker approved conversion kits to convert gas only vehicles to FlexFuel Vehicles. However, nearly every dealership selling new and pre-owned vehicles has a good selection of FFVs. Trade in your gas only vehicle and fuel up for good!
Small engines, like those used on lawn mowers and snow blowers, are not compatible with E85. The same is true for other engines used on boats, snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles. However, most manufactures of these types of engines do warranty the use of E10–a mixture of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline.
