Corn Growers to Ford: Bring Back Flex-Fuel Vehicles

by Carah Hart (Brownfield Ag News) Missouri Corn Growers Association Executive Director Bradley Schad says Ford Motor Company’s Flex-Fuel vehicles should make a comeback. “As corn growers are filling up their vehicles in their communities, they don’t have the option to be able to fill up on E85 and U.S. farmers should have the chance to fill up on their own product.”

The Missouri Corn Growers Association and more than 20 other state corn groups, alongside the National Corn Growers Association, sent a letter to Ford Motor Company in mid-April asking them to produce Flex-Fuel vehicles again, including the F-Series pickups.

The company started phasing out flex fuel vehicles with the 2024 model-year F-Series trucks.

Schad tells Brownfield “if there are regulations they need changed to be able to help, work with us, don’t work against us.”

He says there are a few different options the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency can take to help vehicle manufacturers.

“Give Flex-Fuel vehicle credits back to auto makers. It’s not a tax credit, it’s actually a Corporate Average Fuel Economy or CAFE credit that gives them the ability to help meet the standards put forward by CAFE,” he says. “Some of the other regulations required to go through is the testing on both E10 and E85. As far as equipment concerns, that’s one of the things Ford and other OEM manufacturers have said is a challenge when you have to go through the exact same testing again. It just costs more money and those costs get passed onto the consumer.”

The letter says American-grown ethanol has many benefits and at a time when farm families are navigating uncertain markets, rising production costs and shrinking global demand, it’s essential to maintain diverse fuel choices that support the economy. READ MORE

The letter highlights the critical role American-grown ethanol plays in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening energy independence, and supporting local economies.

“Farm families have historically chosen the F-150 not only for its towing and payload capabilities but also because it was a truck they could fuel with ethanol—a domestic, renewable fuel made from corn, grown and refined in the very communities where Ford trucks are most popular,” the letter states.

Ford has historically played a major role in advancing FFV technology. By 2014, nearly half of all light-duty vehicles produced by Ford, GM, and Chrysler were FFVs. However, in recent years, flex-fuel options have quietly disappeared from Ford’s production lines. Despite the F-150 remaining the top-selling vehicle in many of the nation’s corn-producing states, Ford no longer offers a flex-fuel model. This decision has raised serious concerns among corn growers, who say it removes a key fuel choice for rural drivers and undercuts demand for American-grown ethanol.

“Ford has a long-standing commitment to American farmers, and it’s time to renew that commitment by restarting the production of flex-fuel vehicles,” said Stu Swanson, ICGA President and farmer from Galt, Iowa. “By doing this, Ford will help strengthen rural economies and support sustainable fuel options for future generations. Iowa corn growers urge Ford to reinstate Flex Fuel Vehicle production and stand with farmers who have stood with them.”

The corn organizations contend electric vehicles aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution, especially in rural areas with limited charging infrastructure. The letter notes there is no reason to eliminate a biofuel with proven economic and environmental benefits. The corn grower leaders say they will continue calling on Ford to work with members of Congress and the agriculture community to reinstate smart policies that benefit rural America and consumers.

“Today’s farm families want to continue driving trucks made in America, powered by fuel made in America,” the letter concluded. READ MORE