Barriers to adoption Flexible-fuel vehicles in the United States

typical labeling used in identify e85 vehicles. top left: small sticker in of fuel filler door. bottom left: bright yellow gas cap used in newer models. e85 flexfuel badging used in newer models chrysler (top right), ford (middle right) , gm (bottom right).

a 2005 survey found 68% of american flex-fuel car owners not aware owned e85 flex. due fact exterior of flex , non-flex vehicles same; there no sale price difference between them; lack of consumer s awareness e85s; , initial decision of american automakers of not putting kind of exterior labeling, buyers can aware getting e85 vehicle. in contrast, brazilian automakers mark ffvs badging or high quality sticker in exterior body, logo variant of word flex. since 2006 many new ffv models in feature bright yellow gas cap remind drivers of e85 capabilities. gm using badging text flexfuel/e85 ethanol mark car e85 ffv, , ford flex-fuel models had small decal reading ffv , leaf , road logo, , later introduced badging keeping leaf , road logo changed text flex fuel .

by end of 2014, there around 17.4 million flex-fuel vehicles in use in country. however, according u.s. department of energy in 2011 862,837 flex-fuel fleet-operated vehicles regularly fueled e85. energy policy act of 2005, signed law president bush on 8 august 2005, in section 701 requires federal government s fleet of vehicles capable of operating on alternative fuels operated on these fuels exclusively, unless waiver granted if alternative fuel not reasonably available; or if cost of fuel required unreasonably more expensive compared gasoline. 2008 federal vehicle fleet consisted of 594,900 vehicles, of 128,491 run on e85, representing majority of alternative fuel vehicles in federal fleet year. according government accountability office, in 2010 federal employees received waivers use gasoline in 55 percent of fleet flex-fuel vehicles because e85 not available.

e85 fuel sold @ regular gasoline station.

some critics have argued american automakers have been producing e85 flex models motivated loophole in corporate average fuel economy (cafe) requirements, allows fuel economy credit every flex-fuel vehicle sold, whether or not in practice these vehicles fueled e85. loophole might allow car industry meet cafe targets in fuel economy spending between us$100 us$200 cost turn conventional vehicle flex-fuel, without investing in new technology improve fuel economy, , saving them potential fines not achieving standard in given model year. in example presented national highway traffic safety administration (nhtsa), agency responsible establishing cafe standards, special treatment provided alternative fuel vehicles, turns dual fuel vehicle averages 25 mpg on gasoline or diesel... attain 40 mpg value cafe purposes. current cafe standards 27.5 mpg automobiles , 22.2 mpg light-duty trucks.

in late 2007, cafe standards received first overhaul in more 30 years through energy independence , security act of 2007 (eisa), , set rise 35 mpg year 2020. however, in may 2009 obama administration announced new harmonized national policy require average fuel economy standard of 35.5 mpg in 2016. flex-fuel cafe credits scheduled end in 2016, because 2007 eisa made cafe credits exchangeable between different classes of automobiles , tradable between companies, , carmakers allowed carry on credits 5 years, flex-fuel credits accumulated 2016 can carried on , traded until 2020. cafe standards proposed in 2011 period 2017-2025 allow flexible-fuel vehicles receive credit when carmakers present data proving how e85 such vehicles have consumed.

a major restriction hampering sales of e85 flex vehicles or fuelling e85, limited infrastructure available sell e85 public, 2014 2 percent of motor fuel stations offered e85, 1 percent in 2011. of november 2015, there 3,218 gasoline fueling stations selling e85 public in entire u.s., while 156,000 retail motor fuel outlets not offer e85 blend. number of e85 grew 1,229 in 2007 2,442 in 2011, increased 7% 2011 2013, when total reached 2,625. there great concentration of e85 stations in corn belt states, , of november 2015, leading state minnesota 274 stations, followed michigan 231, illinois 225, iowa 204, indiana 188, texas 181, wisconsin 152, , ohio 126. 8 states not have e85 available public, alaska, delaware, hawaii, montana, maine, new hampshire, rhode island, , vermont. main constraint more rapid expansion of e85 availability requires dedicated storage tanks @ filling stations, @ estimated cost of us$60,000 each dedicated ethanol tank.