The Ethanol Papers - Paperturn manuscript - Flipbook - Page 344
fuel costs. Both E10 and E85 provide options for consumers at this point,
and AAA would support a motorists’ right to choose E15 once basic
thresholds have been met regarding consumer protections.
“You rightly note that the U.S. Department of Energy rigorously tested
E15. This research focused primarily on exhaust emissions and associated components such as catalytic converters. While this research was
consistent with the agency’s mission, it never fully examined whether E15
might damage engines and fuel systems. While current research is not
sufficient to oppose E15 as a product, the significant lack of consumer
awareness and protection highlights the need for additional study.
“Both the EPA and the ethanol industry recommend that motorists check
with the manufacturer on whether their vehicle's warranty would cover
E15 usage. AAA did this and found that automakers have approved less
than five percent of cars on the road to use E15. Five manufacturers
(BMW, Chrysler, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen) state their warranties
will not cover E15 claims. Eight additional automakers (GM, Ford, Honda,
Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo) state that E15 does
not comply with fuel requirements specified in most owners’ manuals and
may void warranties. The only vehicles on the road approved by manufacturers to use E15 include flex-fuel models, 2001 and newer Porsches,
2012 and newer GM vehicles and 2013 Fords.
“The automakers’ position leaves a huge gap between the limited number
of vehicles that automakers will cover and the vehicles the EPA ruled can
use the fuel. This sort of conflicting information puts motorists at risk, and
AAA believes it is inappropriate to sell E15 while these issues remain
unresolved. It is for this reason we made public our call for additional education and more effective labeling at the fuel pump before we would
support the sale of E15. AAA recommends the EPA, fuel producers and
automakers collectively develop a long-term plan that promotes public
education, while implementing improved labeling and warnings at the
pump. Additional research also is necessary to better understand the full
consequences of using E15 in older and newer vehicles.”
After considering these comments, I wrote back:
“I appreciate your taking so much time to address my comments and
questions. And I especially appreciate your recognition of our strong advocacy of ethanol. I say ethanol, in general, as opposed to just E15
