Leading Off: "Your Prices Are in the Wrong Order."

(Urban Air Initiative) "Your prices are in the wrong order." "Only flex fuel vehicles can use E15." "What is E30?" Each of these quotes came from an auto mechanic at a recent training event attended by the Urban Air Initiative. The VISION Hi Tech Training and Expo attracted more than 3,500 mechanics and educators to Kansas City earlier this month. UAI was there as a sponsor and also had a booth to provide education on how ethanol, octane and engines work together.

Technical Director Steve Vander Griend built a replica of a blender pump to use as a visual and it attracted a lot of attention. We talked to dozens of mechanics, answering questions, dispelling myths and offering suggestions to those wanting access to mid-level ethanol blends.

We believe as octane continues to move to the forefront for the auto industry, ethanol will play a more valuable role in the makeup of gasoline. Mechanics are one critical audience that needs to understand how ethanol works in engines. They will be key influencers when it comes to expanding the role of mid-level ethanol blends into the marketplace. Once a consumer chooses an ethanol blend, if a check engine light for example comes on, an auto mechanic may automatically blame ethanol without actually looking into the real cause. These automatic assumptions about ethanol can prompt an open-minded consumer right back to the regular gasoline they are used to buying.

That is why we wanted to invest our resources in this training and start building relationships for additional education moving forward. The contacts we made are interested in learning more about ethanol and are are developing the next phase. We'd like to thank Kansas Corn and Trenton Agri-Products for helping support this training opportunity. READ MORE