Study Finds E20 Lowers Emissions

No impact on vehicle drivability or maintenance.

Compiled by staff

Published: Mar 30, 2010

A new study by the Center for Integrated Manufacturing Studies at Rochester Institute of Technology indicates that the use of E20 fuel, which blends 20% ethanol with gasoline, reduces the tail pipe emissions of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide, compared with traditional gasoline or E10 blends. In addition, the research team found no measurable impact to vehicle drivability or maintenance in conventional internal combustion engines.

The RIT team, which was also led by Brian Duddy, a senior program manager at the Center for Integrated Manufacturing Studies, worked with the County of Monroe, N.Y., to test the use of E20 in 10 older gasoline vehicles that were not designed for ethanol fuel mixtures. The study utilized service vehicles used by the county, which logged over 100,000 miles on E20 fuel and were analyzed periodically both for emissions and overall wear and tear on the vehicle. The fleet showed an average emissions reduction for carbon monoxide of 23% as well as a 13% reduction for hydrocarbon emissions, compared to conventional gasoline, with no measurable stress on vehicle operation or mechanics.

Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis says this study supports the adoption of the "Green Jobs Waiver" that would increase blending of ethanol from 10% to 15%. It is estimated that moving to E15 would create 136,000 jobs in the United States.

"This new study confirms what we've been saying all along. Increasing the use of ethanol in our fuel can help clean our environment, strengthen our national security and create jobs, all without any impact on the drivability of our cars," Buis said. "This study also illustrates the potential benefits of higher blends of ethanol as a means to kicking our addiction to foreign oil. With the current 10 percent ethanol blend in our fuel today, the U.S. has reduced our dependence on foreign oil by billions of gallons each year. If the EPA approves Growth Energy's Green Jobs Waiver to increase the blend level to E15, we will be able to avoid the importation of another seven billion gallons of gasoline."

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Tagged: ethanol, EPA

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