Flexible Fuel Vehicles Save Money on Gas

Envision yourself standing at the gas pump today, your car's fuel gauge is on empty and you know that at the rate of $3.60 per gallon, you do not have the necessary funds to pay for the amount of gas you will need for the week. As gas prices rise, frustrations of people just like you do as well. Did you know that you might be one of the millions of Americans who are already driving cars that can run on something other than gasoline? More than 2 million of today's private- and corporate-owned vehicles are flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs), which can run on ethanol, gasoline, or a mixture of the two. You may have bought an FFV without even realizing it!

This is not something that has been kept secret. However, for whatever possible reasons, the advertising of a better, cheaper, more producible, and environmentally friendly fuel source has been lacking. You would think that automotive companies would push advertising of E85 fuel capable vehicles, using their alternative fuel source as a big selling point.

According to our Presidents last State of the Union address; our country is addicted to oil. We are the world's largest importer of oil at three times the number of the second largest (China). As we feel pains at the pump in recent weeks, one only had to refer back to that address to the nation to understand why. President Bush, in his attempt to cure this country of its addiction, called for a reduction of oil importation. By the year 2025, this country can be expected to import 75% less oil than its current volume. So, what to do when we have no oil left to fuel our vehicles?

In the State of the Union, Bush proposed a push towards alternative fuel sources beginning with the production of ethanol. Ethanol, a renewable fuel produced from corn and other crops, is already in over 15 percent of the gasoline sold in the United States. Most often it is blended with gasoline to produce a fuel that is 5-10-percent ethanol. The highest grade of Ethanol mixture allowable in U.S. vehicles is E85. This means a mixture of 85% Ethanol and 15% oil. Around the world, the highest grade to date is E95.

So, why is this not known? And could you truly have an ethanol ready vehicle? The truth is, yes, you may. The most popular brands of trucks and SUV's currently are FFV's. When gas prices first began to rise, a sales decline in sports and utility vehicles occurred. At that time, advertising for the flexible fuel aspect would have increased profit margins for automotive companies. Most people choose not to buy these vehicles because they are gas guzzlers, and they pay too much at the pump already. Now, however, owners of trucks and SUV's would have a severe advantage over other consumers rather than feeling as though their choice in vehicles was inept.

The first Ethanol vehicle was created in the 1880's by Henry Ford. His intention all along was to produce vehicles that ran off 100% ethanol. If this had ever come to pass, we would have seen an increase in prosperity for farmers and technology alike. Ethanol, coming from corn and starch crops, is a renewable fuel source that not only would provide zero pollution, but it would actually create prosperity for the agricultural community. This never came to be and the first ethanol vehicle was not created until mid-1990.

There are currently only 600 E85 supplied stations in the country. Yet there are over 2 million FF vehicles on the road today. To find out if you own one, check your vehicle manual in the fuel section. Optionally, you may visit http://www.e85fuel.com/. So, the next time you're at the gas pump drifting into a sullen mood over the price you're paying, ask why there are no E85 pumps at that station. Remember, it's renewable, it is already in existence, it is lower costing, less pollutant, and over all good for the economy. So, how come you have not heard of it before?