Behind the Scenes with E15 as We Peel back the Layers

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... More recently in 2011, E15 was approved by the EPA for all vehicles 2001 and newer – nearly 9 out of 10 cars on the road today, or about 92 percent of all registered cars and trucks. In fact, according to Growth Energy, “E15 is the most tested fuel in history. The Department of Energy tested 86 vehicles for a total of six million miles using E15 without a single fuel-related problem.”

Growth Energy also states, “Most automakers – including all the Big Three – now explicitly warranty E15 for all new models. Drivers have driven over 4 billion miles using E15. And NASCAR mechanics agree, which is why they’ve trusted higher ethanol blends for over 10 million miles on the race track. Already, gas stations in 30 states offer E15, giving drivers a better, more affordable choice at the pump. In areas where higher blends are available, E15 is less expensive than E10 by 5 to 10 cents on average.”

What they found is impressive with more than 93 percent of 2019 model year (MY) vehicles being approved for E15. For the first time, Subaru is approving the use of E15 in several of its most popular models for MY 2019, including the Ascent, Crosstrek and Impreza.

Auto industry expert and GM’s former director of alternative fuels, Gary Herwick, said on the call that he can understand why the oil industry opposes E15 since they don’t want to lose any more market share, but “there is a lot of misinformation out there.” Herwick was involved in a study that looked at the “durability effects of E15 and higher ethanol blends and out of that study it was clear that there was no adverse engine effect on the vehicles we tested. There is no basis for saying it damages engines.”

What about the environment? The air emissions? The volatility? Will year-round E15 make air quality issues worse in the summer?

“Heck no” is the consensus among the ethanol industry, which is not surprising, but they have the scientific evidence to support it.

Herwick said on the RFA call that in his automotive studies, “there is no basis for the air quality effects,” and that the volatility differences are essentially the same in E15 as E10. He referred to studies that have shown no effect in additional vaporization compared between the two.

Also supporting the science, Janet Yanowitz, P.E., PhD, Ecoengineering, Inc. and an air quality expert with some serious experience in vehicle emissions said, “There is no evidence that E15 will increase the emissions of either NOX or organics, which are the two pollutants that cause ozone from tailpipe emissions.” Even better, she found there was a reduction in carbon monoxide.

Yanowitz emphasized that the many studies she has been involved in or analyzed showed “no statistically significant impact on emissions. I don’t know where the discussion in the media comes from because the emissions tests published by scientists and engineers do not show any increase in emissions with E15 in comparison to E10.”

Matt Morrison, RFA Outside Counsel who has practiced environmental law for over 30 years, including previous work for the EPA focusing on fuels, said, “EPA has the authority to extend the waiver to E15. The Clean Air Act puts restrictions on the volatility of fuel as measured by RVP – reid vapor pressure – to combat summer ozone and 9PSI is built into the statute. Adding some ethanol will increase slightly the amount of RVP compared to ethanol free fuel, but Congress realizes the benefits of ethanol to allow blending even during summer months. No debate that the waiver extends to E10, but the discussion is does it extend to E15 and higher blends? In my analysis it should and it does.”

There are two statutory provisions to look at 211F – focused on fuels and fuel additives and 211H – focused on RVP according to Morrison. He made a good point that EPA included the waiver for E10 because that was the highest ethanol blend allowed in fuels at the time, which is no longer the case. He summed up making the case that the “EPA’s extension of waiver and allowance of an additional 1 PSI would be consistent with the language of the statute and with congressional history and intent and appropriate for the benefit that E15 would provide.”

RFA’s Cooper noted that the two sections of the Clean Air Act 211H and 211F both have to be addressed in whatever regulation goes forward but they don’t need to go forward together. In fact, the prediction is that 211H will probably go into comment period first. Either way, the key is getting it done in time for summer. READ MORE