CHARLOTTE – Have you heard or seen advertisements for high-ethanol fuels? Perhaps you’ve been truck shopping recently and saw that your truck of choice was “flex fuel” capable? Then what you’ve been seeing are promotions for E85 gasoline. Let’s dive into the details.

E85, or fuel that is 85% ethanol, is the highest grade of ethanol fuel you can buy. (While it is possible to make something very close to 100% ethanol fuel, that kind of substance would be drinkable and the EPA does not want that.) E85 is sometimes referred to as Flex Fuel, and is available at pumps, although the amount of pumps that sell it aren’t particularly high at the moment.

Currently, select models of trucks and certain truck-based SUVs can run E85, such as F150s and Silverados. Most consumer cars, SUVs and vans can only run E10, which is usually the standard fuel at the pump these days, with a select few capable of E15.

Years ago, E85 seemed to be the future of gasoline vehicles, but as fuel efficiency has increased and the popularity of hybrid, electric and hydrogen powered cars has risen, the demand for E85 as a fuel for the common person has dwindled.

If you want to know if your car can run on E85, check both your gas cap and your owner’s manual. Both usually offer information on the kinds of fuel you can and cannot run.

Questions? Give us a call at (704) 545-4597, email us at kenmanchester1@gmail.com, or check us out online at www.manchesterautoandtire.com.