Expert: Drivers should see little difference between regular gas, E15
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The assistant dean of Ivy Tech Community College’s automotive engineering program on Thursday said drivers should have little trouble if they put E15 in their tanks.
Besides teaching at Ivy Tech’s School of Advanced Manufacturing for 35 years, Ron Finney is a fuel consultant for the racing industry. Finney said regular gas already contains up to 10% ethanol, so drivers won’t see much difference if they switch to E15, which contains 15% ethanol.
“If we’re actually measuring the mileage and tracking the performance of it, you might see a slight decrease in gas mileage because the ethanol doesn’t produce quite the same heat energy that gasoline does,” he said, “but the average person probably is not going to notice that difference in it.”
President Joe Biden on Tuesday suspended the normal summertime ban on E15 sales as part of an effort to head off gas price hikes caused by oil embargoes against Russia due to that country’s invasion of Ukraine. According to GasBuddy, Indiana’s average gas price has already dropped to $3.92 per gallon from last month’s high of $4.26. Only about 2,300 gas stations in the United States sell E15, mostly in the Midwest. The president’s order came about two weeks after a bipartisan group of senators sent him a letter asking to allow year-round sales. The order does not affect the composition of regular gas.
The summertime E15 sales ban is due mainly to smog concerns. Finney said ethanol raises gasoline’s revapor pressure, which means it will evaporate more readily and could react with sunlight. However, he said cars made in the last 10-15 years have onboard vapor recovery systems, so any additional smog likely would be minimal.
Finney said any car manufactured after 2001 should be able to handle E15, noting the ethanol content in regular gas. The Renewable Fuels Association said drivers should check their owner’s manuals because some foreign manufacturers still don’t recommend E15 for part or all of their model lineups. If drivers are still concerned about putting E15 in their tank, Finney said simply keeping up with your car’s routine maintenance and keeping your tires properly inflated can improve your mileage.