RESEARCH INDICATES E20 BLEND WORKS IN CARS

News Date March 10, 2008

       Doubling the amount of ethanol blended into gasoline will not present problems for current vehicles or for fuel-dispensing equipment, according to a new study released this week by the state of Minnesota.
       Using 40 pairs of vehicles commonly found on American roads, a year-long research effort found that increasing ethanol blends from 10 percent (E10) to 20 percent (E20) in a gallon of gasoline provides similar power and performance across a range of tests focusing on drivability and materials compatibility.
       The state of Minnesota conducted the study as part of the process to meet a state law that requires ethanol to comprise 20 percent of all gasoline sold in Minnesota beginning in 2013. Pawlenty signed legislation that included this requirement in 2005.
       The study was conducted at Minnesota State University Mankato and the University of Minnesota, with cooperation from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and the Renewable Fuels Association. The study included input from fuel refiners and automakers, and received funding from the Minnesota Corn Growers and the Council of Great Lakes Governors.
       "Until now, there has been limited information available on the performance of fuels with higher ethanol content," Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Gene Hugoson says. "This research gives us solid information on how the fuels can perform in today's vehicles." The report and much more information about ethanol are available on MDA's website, http://www.mda.state.mn.us/renewable/ethanol/default.htm.