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Automakers get incentive to produce more FFVs

Automakers have been producing fewer flex fuel vehicles in recent years, which is a concern to the ethanol industry.

But there is some good news on that front, according to Ron Lamberty with the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE).

“We’re pretty excited about flex fuel vehicles getting a credit again from the federal government,” Lamberty says. “They’re going to give the automakers a credit, which basically gives them a better greenhouse gas score and a better CAFE score—so that gives them incentive to make flex fuel vehicles.”

Flex fuel vehicles can burn any blend of gasoline and ethanol up to E85, which is 85 percent ethanol. And Lamberty says a lot more people are using E85.

“California, in particular—we’ve got a guy that I started meeting with back in probably 2006 who, if he was doing 100-thousand gallons of E85, he was lucky. Last year his company, Pearson Fuels, did over 30 million gallons of E85.

“So E10 and E15 are nice, but E85 is great if we can get it moving.”

Brownfield spoke with Lamberty at the recent NAFB convention in Kansas City.