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Ethanol is produced domestically from corn and other crops
and produces less greenhouse gas emissions than conventional
fuels. What
is ethanol
Ethanol, or ethyl alcohol, has the chemical formula C2H5OH.
It is the same alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, but ethanol also
makes an effective motor fuel. There have been decades of motor fuel
application experience in the United States and other countries with
ethanol.
How is ethanol being used
as transportation fuel
Most ethanol used for fuel is being blended into gasoline at
concentrations of 5 to 10 percent. In California, ethanol has replaced
methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) as a gasoline component. More than 95
percent of the gasoline supplied in the state today contains 6 percent
ethanol. There is a small but growing market for E85 fuel (85 percent
ethanol and 15 percent gasoline) for use in flexible fuel vehicles
(FFVs), several million of which have been produced by U.S. automakers.
But E85 is primarily found in the Midwest in corn-producing states.
Ethanol is also being used to formulate a blend with diesel fuel, known
as "E-Diesel", and as a replacement for leaded aviation gasoline in
small aircraft.
How and where is ethanol
produced
Today's expanding fuel ethanol industry in the United States uses
mostly corn as its basic ingredient. It is processed via fermentation
and distillation to produce ethanol, animal feed, and other by-products.
Midwestern states, including Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Nebraska are
the largest ethanol-producing states; however, there is some ethanol
production in 20 states.
Brazil is the world's top ethanol producer, using sugar cane as the
feedstock. Vehicles in that country have been using 100 percent ethanol
for decades.
E85 Fuelling Station Locations
In September 2007, the number of U.S. fuelling stations offering E85
surpassed 1,200 and continues to grow.
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DRIVERS
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