Using Ethanol E10 E85 Auto Racing Warranty Statements Other Engines
Using Ethanol
Ethanol is a clean, renewable, high performance fuel for your vehicle. Up to a 10% blend of ethanol (E10) is covered under warranty by every auto manufacturer that sells vehicles in the U.S. for every make and every model of vehicle. E85 (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline) is for use in flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) which can operate on gasoline or any blend of ethanol up to 85%.
E10
E10 is 10% ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline, a fuel blend covered under warranty by every automobile manufacturer that sells vehicles in the U.S. for every make and every model of automobile. Many recommend its use because of its high octane and superior performance characteristics.
Ethanol is currently blended into about 70% of America's gasoline, the majority as the E10 blend. Each state determines whether gasoline needs to be labeled if containing ethanol, so if you're in an area where labeling is voluntary or not required, it is not always possible to tell if the gasoline contains ethanol. Ethanol blends are offered extensively throughout the Midwest and are becoming more and more widely available from coast to coast.
Because ethanol has an octane rating of 113, adding 10% ethanol to gasoline raises the finished fuel's octane rating by 2 or 3 points, improving the fuel's performance.
In some cases, different percentages of ethanol are used instead of the 10% blend. In California, for example, all gasoline contains 5.7% ethanol. E85 is a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline that is mean for use in flexible fuel vehicles (see below).
E10 is safe to use in small engines such as motorcycles, lawn mowers, trimmers, boats, personal watercraft, snowmobiles, ATVs, and many others. Manufacturers understand that a considerable portion of the gasoline sold in this country contains ethanol and ensure that their products are compatible with oxygenated fuel.
E85
Classified as an alternative fuel by the U.S. Department of Energy, E85 is a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% unleaded gasoline for use in flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs). Because E85 is for use in a specific type of vehicle, it is always labeled clearly at the pump. An FFV can operate on any blend of ethanol up to 85%, and if E85 is not available, the vehicle can operate on straight unleaded gasoline or any percentage of ethanol up to 85%.
Major automakers including DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors, Mazda, Mercury, Isuzu, and Mercedes manufacture vehicles that can operate on E85. FFVs have been produced for several years, and the number of E85-compatible makes and models is increasing each year. On some models this comes as an option, on some it comes standard - check with your auto dealer before ordering or purchasing your vehicle.
- View the latest list of FFVs, including those new for the '08 model year
- View a complete list of E85 refueling stations with a map searchable by state
- Learn about the number of FFVs in your state and nationwide
Ethanol is a clean, environmentally friendly fuel and in an 85% blend, it is very clean and even more environmentally friendly. E85 reduces harmful hydrocarbon and greenhouse gas emissions. E85 is the highest performance fuel you can purchase at the retail level with its octane rating of at least 105. Because E85 vehicles are flexible by nature, owning an FFV is a practical way to enter the world of alternative fuels without any limitations on the vehicle's range.
Auto Racing
Ethanol has been used as a fuel or fuel additive in various auto races for a number of years, but ethanol's relationship with the Indy Racing League (IRL) has propelled the renewable fuel to a national racing platform.
Beginning with the IRL IndyCar Series' 2007 season, the series has switched from its former race fuel, methanol, to 100% ethanol. The transition began during the 2006 season when the series used a 10% ethanol, 90% methanol blend. Beginning with the '07 season, 100% ethanol is now the fuel of the IndyCar Series, including the world-famous Indy 500.
Key players in the U.S. ethanol industry have come together to back Team Ethanol, the No. 17 car, driven by Ryan Hunter-Reay Rahal Letterman Racing. The team's first driver, the late Paul Dana, directed the ethanol partnership up the IRL ranks and led the industry down the path to the fuel switch.
Learn more about the IRL fuel switch in the Ethanol Today feature, "Powerful Partnership Accelerates Indy & Ethanol." To view the current IRL season schedule, visit www.indycar.com.
Warranty Statements
Up to a 10% blend of ethanol is covered under warranty by every auto manufacturer that sells vehicles in the U.S. (listed below) for every make and every model of vehicle. Many of these manufacturers recommend ethanol's use because of its clean-burning and high-octane characteristics.
- BMW
- DaimlerChrysler
- Ferrari
- Ford
- General Motors
- Honda / Acura
- Hyundai
- Isuzu
- Jaguar
- Kia
- Land Rover
- Mazda
- Mercedes-Benz
- Mitsubishi
- Nissan / Infiniti
- Porsche
- Saab
- Subaru
- Suzuki
- Toyota
- Volkswagen / Audi
- Volvo
Boats & Personal Watercraft
Warranty statements of the boat manufacturers listed below approve of the use of ten-percent ethanol blends in their inboard or outboard motors.
- Bombardier
- Honda
- Indmar Marine
- Mercury Marine
- Nissan
- Evinrude, Johnson
- Pleasurecraft
- Suzuki
- Yamaha
Snowmobiles
The snowmobile manufacturers listed below have warranty statements that include ethanol as an approved fuel. Many manufacturers recommend its use to promote clean air in areas of heavy snowmobile use such as Yellowstone National Park.
- Arctic Cat*
- Bombardier
- Honda
- Kawasaki
- Polaris
- Suzuki
- Yamaha
* Arctic Cat requires that fuel designation connector be disconnected from ECU when using any oxygenated fuel.
Other Small Engines
Ten-percent ethanol blends are also covered under warranty by these makers of other small engines.
- AGCO
- Ariens
- Briggs & Stratton
- Coleman
- ECHO
- Generac Power Systems
- Homelite
- Honda
- Husqvarna
- John Deere
- Kohler
- Lawn Boy
- Massey Ferguson
- Murray
- Poulan
- Sears
- Simplicity
- Snapper
- Toro
- Troy-Bilt
For specific warranty language, please e-mail ACE with your request.
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