In a time when automakers are searching for, and consumers are demanding, alternatively powered vehicles, it appears that one answer might be found in our own backyard. Throughout the flat plains and rolling hills of the Midwest lie endless, unrivaled reservoirs of untapped energy.

E85 is an alternative fuel comprised of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.

Corn, distilled into ethanol and mixed with gasoline, is used to create E85. Each gallon of E85 consists of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Thus, this renewable energy has the potential to greatly reduce our nation's dependence on foreign oil.

Illustrating this point, Doug Dittrich, E85 Fleet Account Executive at General Motors, carries a gallon-sized container around filled with just 19.2 ounces of gasoline. This small amount of liquid emphasizes how much gasoline is saved by cars like the new 2006 E85-compatible Impala.

Corn: It's Not Just For Dinner
To make ethanol, starch crops like barley, wheat, and corn are converted into simple sugars and then fermented and distilled. One bushel of corn, roughly 56 pounds, produces 2.7 gallons of ethanol.

Ethanol made its debut as a vehicle energy source in 1908 when Henry Ford designed his Model T to operate on the alcohol-based fuel. Modeern-day ethanol fuel blending began in 1980. Today, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) estimates that ethanol is blended in more than 30 percent of the gasoline sold in this country.

Though more expensive to refine than gasoline, the dramatic rise in crude-oil prices has suddenly made E85 a viable alternative. From 2003 to 2004, ethanol production increased by 21 percent. Last year, 3.41 billion gallons of ethanol were produced, signaling a change in consumer's attitudes toward this unlikely fuel.

To make the ethanol used in E85, starch from the corn's kernel is distilled and fermented.

Flexible-Fuel Vehicles
Currently, only vehicles deemed Flexible-Fuel Vehicles (FFV) can use E85, and most of these are only available to commercial and fleet buyers. But consumer demand for alternative-fuel vehicles is on the rise, and manufacturers are expanding to bring more FFVs to the public (see chart below). For example, General Motors has over 1.1 million E85-compatible vehicles on the road today, and recently launched the 2006 E85 Impala. RFA estimates that there are more than four million FFVs being driven today.

"These Flexible-Fuel Vehicles are specifically engineered to run on a mix of ethanol and gasoline, but it doesn't always have to be only 15 percent gasoline. FFVs sense what percentage of the fuel is ethanol and adjust to run on that," Dittrich said. If E85 is unavailable, gasoline can be substituted.

Major differences between vehicles that run on gasoline and those that are E85 compatible include a fuel-monitoring system that detects the ethanol/gasoline ratio, as well as other parts of the fuel delivery system that need modification due to ethanol's corrosive nature. In model year 1998, manufacturers began making these E85-compatible components standard on certain vehicles.

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Energy Independence
Dittrich and other experts estimate that the price of a gallon of E85 is 20-60 cents less expensive than a gallon of gas. This lower price is somewhat offset by lower fuel efficiency--FFVs experience a 5 percent to 15 percent drop in fuel economy vs. a conventional gasoline engine. However, many experts agree that there are other more important positives: a stronger national economy, cleaner environment, and increased domestic energy security.

"E85 is renewable because corn is grown and harvested each year, it's a domestic product that is rooted right here in the Midwest. It's good for the environment because it burns cleaner than gasoline, and it is good for our economy because it reduces our dependence on foreign crude oil and lowers our dependence on trade," Dittrich said.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the United States' transportation sector is approximately 97 percent dependent on petroleum, with the nation importing over 60 percent of its petroleum. Moreover, the U.S. spends roughly $50 billion each year for military protection of Middle East oil supplies.

In contrast, the use of ethanol in 2004 reduced the U.S. trade deficit by $5.1 billion by eliminating the need to import 143.3 million barrels of oil.

Nearly all 50 states have at least one E85 filling station. Those that do are shown here in yellow.

From the Fields to the Pump
Despite its relatively unknown status with the public, E85 is the most widely used alternative transportation fuel. It's no coincidence then that E85 filling stations and ethanol manufacturing plants are on the rise throughout the country.

According to the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, U.S. ethanol producers currently have the ability to produce more than 4 billion gallons annually, with more plants being added each year. As these plants pop up around the country, more stations will be able to bring the product to consumers.

This expansion is made possible by both the installation of new equipment at the stations and the conversion of existing petroleum equipment to E85 standards. So far, the U.S. has a total of 550 E85 stations; and Minnesota leads the pack with 168 stations, followed by Illinois' 77. Sadly, many of them are private pumping facilities for fleet or government vehicles only.

The Future
E85's popularity has grown immensely in the last decade, but why hasn't it caught on? One big hurdle, according to Dittrich, is getting the word out about the benefits and potential of E85 and getting the public to take notice.

There are currently 550 E85 pumping stations in the United States.

"It's not as sexy or new as fuel-cell technology, and it doesn't get as much attention in the media because E85 basically works the same way gasoline works in vehicles," Dittrich said.

Also, E85 is no less expensive to manufacture than gasoline, so gasoline prices have to rise even more before any momentum can build behind the E85 movement.

The government is working to bring this alternative fuel to the mainstream with the Energy Policy Act of 2005. It's offering tax credits for motorists interested in purchasing an flexible-fuel vehicle or companies interested in becoming E85 filling stations. Also, Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich is spending $500,000 to bring more E85 stations to the state, with a goal of having 100 public stations open by the end of 2006. For more information on government incentives, visit:
http://www.eere.energy.gov/cleancities/vbg/progs/laws.cgi.

Because of our nation's extensive gasoline-based infrastructure, fossil-fuel alternatives are quickly becoming the only short-term alternative in the race to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. E85 offers the hope of quickly replacing a foreign oil with a viable, renewable source of energy.

E85 Vehicles
Below is a chart listing which automakers offer E85-compatible vehicles.

Chevrolet	Chrysler	Dodge	GMC	Ford	Isuzu	Mazda	Mercedes-Benz	Mercury	Nissan
'06 3.5-liter Impala	'06 2.7-liter Sebring sedan*	'06 4.7-liter Durango*	'03-'06 5.3-liter V8 Sierra	'06 3.0-liter Taurus sedan and wagon (2-valve)*	'00-'01 2.2-liter Hombre	'99, '01'02 3.0-liter B-Series (only selected pickups)	'05 2.6-liter C240	'06 4.6-liter Grand Marquis (2-valve)	'05-'06 5.6-liter V8 Titan
'06 3.5-liter Monte Carlo	'04-'05 2.7-liter Sebring sedan	'06 4.7-liter Ram 1500*	'03-'06 5.3-liter Vortec Yukon	'06 4.6-liter Crown Victoria (2-valve)*			'03-'05 3.2-liter C320	'02-'05 4.0-liter Mount- aineers
'05-'06 Avalanche (Vortec)	'03-'04 2.7-liter Sebring sedan	'06 2.7-liter Stratus*	'02 5.3-liter Sierra	'06 5.4-liter F-150 (3-valve)				'02-'05 3.0-liter Sable
'05,-'06 Tahoe (Vortec)*	'03 2.7-liter Sebring sedan and convertible	'06 3.3-liter Caravan SE*	'02 5.3-liter Yukon	'06 4.6-liter Lincoln Town Car (2-valve)				'00-'04 3.0-liter Sable
'03-'06 5.3-liter V8 Silverado	'00-'03 3.3-liter Voyager	'04-'05 4.7-liter Ram 1500	'00-'02 2.2-liter Sonoma	'04-'05 4.0-liter Explorer Spor Trac
'03-'06 5.3-liter Vortec Suburban and Tahoe	'00-'03 Town & Country	'04-'05 2.7-liter Stratus		'04-'05 4.0-liter Explorer
'02 5.3-liter V8 Silverado	'98-'99 Town & Country	'03-'04 2.7-liter Stratus		'04-'05 3.0-liter Taurus sedan and wagon (2-valve)
'02 5.3-liter Vortec Suburban and Tahoe		'98-'03 3.3-liter Caravan		'02-'04 4.0-liter Explorer
'02 2.2-liter S-10				'02-'04 3.0-liter Taurus sedan and wagon
'00-'01 2.2-liter S-10				'02-'03 3.0-liter Ranger
				'01 3.0-liter Ranger
				'01 3.0-liter Taurus sedan
				'99-'00 3.0-liter Ranger
				'99-'00 3.0-liter Taurus sedan

* Fleet sales only.