HORACE LANGFORD JR. / PVT Motorists filling up at Terrible's Country Store now have the choice of using E 85 fuel but should use it only if their vehicle is equipped to run on flexible fuels. Advertisement

Motorists might have done a double take this week while driving down Highway 160, checking out the gas prices.

A sign at Terrible's Country Store suddenly touted a price of $3.79 per gallon, a major discount from the usual $4.21 for unleaded regular.

But upon closer examination, the fuel being sold at that price is ethanol 85, which isn't for every vehicle.

"It's designed for most newer vehicles with a 'flexible fuel' engine, which can ride on either the 85 ethanol or any combination of ethanol and gasoline," said Art Bernier, fuels supplier for Terrible's Oil Co.

Drivers should consult the dealer's manufacturer handbook for their vehicle to see if it's equipped to run on ethanol, he said.

"A lot of people don't even realize they have a 'flexible fuel' engine because they're coming standard on some models now," Bernier said. "It's kind of like diesel was 25, 30 years ago where nobody was using it. Then all of a sudden, diesel became real popular."

Ethanol is a "green" fuel made from corn, which is seen as more ecologically friendly than straight petroleum products, Bernier said. "It'll burn cleaner and have less emissions," he said.

A couple driving a van with California license plates stopped at the gas pumps at the Country Store, looked at the selection and walked into the store to ask the question: What is ethanol 85?

Terrible's Oil has handouts at the counter of the Country Store, explaining about ethanol fuel. It's 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Ethanol is produced by the fermentation of plant sugars.

E 85 is an alternative fuel designed to increase domestic energy security and reduce emissions, the flier states, produced by the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition.

Ethanol looks and fuels like regular gas, but doesn't contain harmful carcinogens and other toxic chemicals found in gas, the coalition states.

U.S. ethanol producers have the capacity to produce more than 4 billion gallons of ethanol per year. The coalition lists 1,571 stations nationwide that sell E 85, and by far the largest number are in the corn belt. Illinois has 173 gas stations selling E 85, Indiana has 103. Nevada has 23, of which 18 are in the Las Vegas area.

"So far in our Pahrump location obviously people are reading [the literature]. We're not selling a tremendous amount of it. It's something else, we just thought if the public was looking for it, we want to be able to provide it for them," Bernier said.

The U.S. Department of Energy annual fuel economy study shows lower mileage from E 85 fuel than regular gasoline.

A 2008 Chrysler Sebring convertible that got 18 miles per gallon in the city and 26 mpg on the highway with regular unleaded gas, got only 13 miles in the city and 19 miles on the highway running on E 85. A Lincoln Town Car with mileage of 15 mpg city and 23 mpg highway on gas, only got 11 miles and 16 miles using E 85.

A Chevy Silverado C 15 two-wheel drive pickup that might get 15 mpg city and 20 mpg highway using gas, only got 11 mpg and 15 mpg respectively using E 85.

The DOE study estimated vehicles owners driving 15,000 miles annually still saved money using E 85 -- with 55 percent city and 45 percent highway driving -- but the study calculates a wider range of prices, assuming E 85 was selling for $2.51 per gallon and regular unleaded at $3.94.

Under that scenario the Sebring convertible owner would pay $2,511 annually for E 85 and $2,813 for regular gas. The Lincoln Town Car owner would pay $2,895 annually running ethanol instead of $3,286 for gas. The Chevy Silverado owner would pay $2,895 for E 85 and $3,475 for gas.

So what happens if the owner of a vehicle not equipped to run on flex fuel accidentally filled up with E 85?

"A one-time deal probably isn't going to do much damage and hurt the vehicle, but if you consistently did that, you'll definitely have some problems," said Jason Link a mechanic at Enck's Auto Repair.

Link said his shop hasn't seen many people show up with damage to their vehicles from running E 85.

"The E 85 on a regular vehicle that's not designed for the flex fuel, you're going to damage the injectors. You can damage the fuel pump from it. As far as anything else, really, it's not going to damage the internal workings of the engine," Link said.

Bernier suggests people driving vehicles not equipped to run on flex fuels who accidentally fill up their entire tank with E 85 drain the tank.

"It will probably make your oxygen sensors get a little wacky and it could cause you to have some sputtering, depending on how much (gas) you had in when you put it in," he said. "A small amount wouldn't hurt it."

Link said a lot of newer vehicles can use flexible fuels, particularly a lot of Ford vehicles.

The National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition states the primary difference is a fuel sensor that detects the ethanol-gasoline ratio. Other parts in flexible fuel vehicles have been modified to be ethanol compatible, including the fuel tank, fuel lines, fuel injectors, computer system and anti-siphon device.

Alcohol fuels can be more corrosive than gasoline, therefore fuel system parts have been upgraded to be ethanol-compatible, the institute states.

Besides the lower mileage, Link said the vehicles capable of running on flex fuels are a little more expensive.

Despite the drawbacks however, some motorists may elect to buy ethanol to do their part in achieving some of the goals raised in the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition literature: reducing America's dependence on foreign oil and reducing harmful emissions.