Flex Fueled: The Current Crop

E85 capable vehicles available today.

There is a segment of American drivers who are interested in buying a car capable of running on a strong blend of ethanol and straight gasoline. For them, utilizing a home grown fuel is better than feeding the foreign oil habit, their personal declaration that American energy independence is possible.

Ethanol Ready

All cars built today are able to run on E10 fuel — 10 percent ethanol, 90 percent gasoline; but few can run on E85 fuel — 85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline.

That’s because certain corrosion prevention measures need to be taken to protect the fuel line and gas tank. When in place, placarding in the area of the fuel tank and a notation in the owner’s manual signifies that fueling with E85 is an option.

Oil Dependency

E85 enthusiasts love the fuel for a few other reasons including enjoying a slight boost in performance, low prices where widely available and the support it offers farmers who grow the corn which comprises the fuel. But, there is a loss of fuel efficiency, somewhere between 20-30 percent which makes E85 unattractive for many. And, the fuel is hard to find in areas where corn is not king, diminishing the attraction of E85 further.

For the 2010 model year, a number of vehicles are E85 capable. Let’s take a look at the run down:

Chevrolet — Select Malibus with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission or 3.5-liter V-6 paired with a four-speed automatic transmission. HHR FWD or Panel FWD with the 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. Chevrolet Impala equipped with a 3.5-liter or 3.9-liter six-cylinder engine paired with a four-speed automatic transmission. Various Silverado, Avalanche, Tahoe, Express and Suburban models. Lots of Chevrolets! Indeed, Chevrolet claims to have produced 2.5 million FFVs to date.

Ford – Front- and all-wheel-drive Fusion with 3.0L V-6 engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.  Ford Escape in 2WD or 4WD with 3.0L V-6 engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. Select F-150 and Expedition models.

Chrysler — Sebring hard top sedan and convertible with 2.7-liter V-6 paired with a four-speed automatic transmission. Town & County minivan with 3.3-liter V-6 paired with a four-speed automatic transmission.

Dodge — Avenger with 2.7-liter V-6 paired with a four-speed automatic transmission. Grand Caravan minivan with 3.3-liter V-6 paired with a four-speed automatic transmission. 2WD and 4WD Dakota and Ram pickup trucks outfitted with a 4.7-liter V-8 engine and paired with a five-speed automatic transmission.

Other GM — Buick Lucerne equipped with a 3.9-liter V-6 paired with a four-speed automatic transmission. Numerous GMC models paralleling offerings made by Chevrolet trucks. Various Cadillac Escalade models.

Other Ford — Select Mercury Milan, Mariner and Grand Marquis models. Lincoln Town Car and Navigator.

Foreign Manufacturers — Nissan, Toyota, Mazda and Mercedes models.

FFV vehicles were offered as far back as the early 1990s and new models are being added or existing models subtracted depending on model year. Check with the manufacturer to find out affected models or visit the Environmental Protection Agency list for more information.

Rebates For Buying, Using An E85 Vehicle

E85 vehicles or flex fuel vehicles (FFV) are select cars, trucks, SUVs, crossovers and commercial vehicles which run on E85 fuel. E85 represents a blend of ethanol and regular gasoline, with 85% of the mixture consisting of ethanol and the remaining 15% gasoline. Ethanol is developed from a number of different products, including corn, but E85 can only be used in vehicles which have been factory developed to use this fuel. Your owner’s manual will indicate whether your car can run on E85 fuel.

Ethanol is usually derived from corn and, thanks to government incentives, can yield nice incentives for the buyers and drivers of flexible fuel vehicles (FFV).

Because E85 fuel produces fewer harmful emissions, some government agencies offer consumers rebates or tax credits when they purchase these types of vehicles to encourage the purchase of FFVs. Right now, Congress is considering legislation that would provide a rebate or tax credit for purchasers of E85 vehicles, similar to what is already extended to most hybrid and a handful of lean burning diesel vehicles. At the moment, no federal rebate is in place.

State Level Incentives

On the state level, E85 vehicle owners may be able to find a rebate by visiting their state’s Environmental Protection Agency website or similar agency. For example, in Illinois, the Illinois Alternate Fuels Rebate Program is one of the most comprehensive programs of its kind. The program encourages drivers to fill up with E85 at least fifty percent of the time in order to qualify for a rebate. Drivers must save their receipts and submit that information to the state at the end of the year along with required forms and paperwork in order to receive rebate for up to $450 annually. In addition, purchasing an FFV vehicle can result in a one time rebate for up to $4000 for Illinois residents only.

Go to the The Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center, a US Department of Energy site, to find what incentives are available for your state. A detailed map of the US with each state outlined is given, whereby you can click on your state to find which incentives are in place. Keep in mind that the Department of Energy list may not have the most up to date information, therefore go directly to your state’s official website, such as www.nj.gov, to review current information.

Fed Incentives Soon?

Lastly, bookmark www.irs.gov to keep pace with federal government programs related to FFVs. When new legislation is passed by Congress and signed by the president, that information will be posted to the IRS website, particularly if a federal tax credit is involved. Alternately, check the Department of Energy site for related updates.

See Also — Hybrid Incentives and Rebates – Region by Region

The Most Fuel Efficient Cars of 2009

Although gas prices have retreated considerably since peaking above $4 per gallon over the summer, consumers who are in the market for a new vehicle are still putting a high importance on choosing cars that deliver exceptional fuel economy. The retreat from big SUVs, pickup trucks, and other large vehicles has been historic with demand for certain smaller cars outstripping supply.

Each year the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes information about every vehicle sold in the US to include city, highway, and combined driving fuel economy. Up until recently, those figures were considered to be inflated, but over the past few years the EPA has taken great strides to make certain that fuel economy numbers parallel real world driving conditions. If the EPA says that a car can get 40 mpg, you should be able to realize that number under optimum driving conditions.

The Most Fuel Efficient Cars For 2009

For the 2009 model year, the EPA has released its Top Ten list of most fuel efficient cars. The list is evenly split between hybrids and gas or electric models, with top honors going to the Toyota Prius:

1. Toyota Prius (hybrid) — 48/45

2. Honda Civic Hybrid — 40/45

3. Nissan Altima Hybrid — 35/33

4. Ford Escape Hybrid FWD; Mazda Tribute Hybrid 2WD; Mercury Mariner Hybrid FWD — 34/31

5. Smart ForTwo convertible; Smart ForTwo coupe — 33/41

6. Toyota Camry Hybrid — 33/34

7. Volkswagen Jetta (manual, diesel); Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen (manual, diesel) — 30/41

8. Volkswagen Jetta (automatic, diesel); Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen (automatic, diesel) — 29/40

9. Toyota Yaris (manual) — 29/36

10. Toyota Yaris (automatic) – 29/35

The Worst of the Lot

Now that you know the most fuel efficient vehicles available, can you guess which model finished dead last? If you said the Lamborghini Murcielago with its 6.5L V12 engine, then you guessed correctly. The Italian sportscar gulps gas to the tune of delivering just 8 mpg city and 13 mpg highway finishing just ahead of the Bentley Arnage RL which gets 9 mpg city/15 mpg highway thanks to its 6.7L V12 powerplant.

To find the fuel economy of a vehicle that interests you and to make side by side comparisons with other cars, trucks, vans, crossovers, and SUVs, visit the EPA website to plug in that information.