Unleaded 88 Fuel Is Spreading in Ohio, but Is It Good for Your Car and the Climate?

by Patrick Cooley (The Columbus Dispatch) ... Ohio has at least 88 gas stations that sell unleaded 88, up from 10 or 15 in 2016, according to the Renewable Fuels Association. (A spokesperson cautioned that the association's list is not comprehensive.) Nationwide, around 2,400 stations sell E15, about 1.5% of the total. The fuel is, on average, 10% cheaper than regular unleaded.

Virtually all unleaded gasoline sold in the United States is at least 10% ethanol, thanks to renewable fuel standards approved in 2005.

Agriculture officials say a move to unleaded 88 benefits consumers, easing prices at the pump and reducing pollution.

Misinformation and ethanol hype abounds on the internet, making a sober assessment of unleaded 88 a challenge.

The gas mileage from unleaded 88 depends on the vehicle, but in general, “the energy content for ethanol is less than gas,” said Denton Cinquegrana, chief oil analyst for the Oil Price Information Service.

... However, with only a 5% difference in ethanol content, the disparity between unleaded 88 and regular unleaded is negligible.

"I suspect most people will have a hard time seeing the actual reduction," Lipscomb said. "It could be masked by other factors like weather, how you drive, tire pressure, but it's going to be really, really close in terms of fuel economy."

In some cases, the price difference — which depends on the gas station — makes unleaded 88 worth it, experts say.

Daniel Ciolkosz, an associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering at Penn State University, says drivers should try it for themselves. “Run a tank under normal conditions with regular unleaded and run a tank with unleaded 88 and see what's the difference,” he said.

Ciolkosz believes unleaded 88 is worth buying if it is at least 5% cheaper than regular unleaded.

Georgios Karavalakis, who leads an experimental research program on combustion engines at the University of California Riverside, studied E15 at the request of the state of California, which approved the blend over the summer.

“It's a beneficial fuel and our study showed that,” he said. “Most of the tailpipe emissions from a fleet of 20 vehicles (we tested) decreased.”

A definitive statement on E15’s environmental benefits requires a “life-cycle assessment” measuring carbon emissions at every stage of the production process, Karavalakis said. But experts generally agree ethanol production gives off less carbon dioxide than gasoline production because it’s plant-based.

E15 has another, more subtle, benefit, Selamet noted. It comes from corn grown in the United States, meaning the price at the pump is less susceptible to the whims of foreign leaders.

“It's a tested and proven fuel,” said Robert White, vice president of industry relations for the Renewable Fuels Association.

The EPA has approved E15 for use in passenger vehicles built after 2001, although some high-performance vehicles recommend only using mid-range and premium gas. READ MORE

Excerpt from Consumer Reports: If you’re using a low-grade fuel in a car that requires a higher-grade, such as 91 or a premium fuel, you’re doing yourself a disservice, and you could be causing damage to your car’s engine because that fuel is detonating too early in the cylinder. So is there ever a situation where you should be using E15 gas in your car?

The EPA says E15 can be used in flexible-fuel vehicles, as well as 2001 and newer cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty SUVs. Don’t use E15 in motorcycles or other small engines, heavy-duty trucks, or nonroad vehicles such as boats and snowmobiles.

“I went into Consumer Reports’ garage and looked at two random cars we had—a 2022 Hyundai and a 2023 Acura. Both of those manuals said 15 percent ethanol is the maximum percentage you should be putting into those cars,” says Alex Knizek, auto engineer at Consumer Reports. “And another thing to remember is that ethanol isn’t as energy dense as regular gasoline so you will see worse fuel economy with E15 gas.” READ MORE