DIMONDALE - Area politicians and representatives from the Department of Agriculture stopped by an area gas station Friday to promote a new fuel source for cars - corn.
Lt. Governor Dick Posthumus was at Don’s Windmill Truck Stop Inc. of Dimondale, 7262 Lansing Road, to celebrate the breakthrough fuel’s arrival into Ingham County.
The fuel, an ethanol product called E-85, is going to be sold for around 85 cents a gallon and is produced from fermented agricultural products such as corn.
“Ethanol is truly an amazing fuel - it’s a renewable resource that cleans your engine and increases your octane level,” said Greg Horst, a Sanilac County corn producer and president of the Corn Marketing Program of Michigan.
“Corn producers are excited about ethanol because it is a clean-burning fuel made from corn.”
The new fuel is not compatible with all vehicles. The only vehicles that can operate on ethanol are “flex-fuel vehicles.” Such vehicles are commonly marked as ethanol compatible near the driver’s side front tire.
Vehicles that accept the corn-based ethanol include the 2001 Ford Explorer, the 2000 GMC Sonoma pick-up and the 1999-2000 Mazda B3000 pickup. Posthumus believes vehicle compatibility will increase over time.
“I think over time, most of our new cars will accept the new gas,” Posthumus said. “We’re looking to produce safer vehicles for the environment. In the next decade, we’ll see this become more popular.”
More cars are already in production to accept the fuel, including the 2002 models of Chevrolet Suburbans and Tahoes.
Don’s Windmill Truck Stop is the second gas station in the area to sell the new fuel and one of only six stations in Michigan. Ball Park Mobile, 600 E. Michigan Ave. in Lansing, also sells the new fuel, as do other stations in St. Johns, Battle Creek and Detroit.
U.S. ethanol consumption is already estimated at around 3 billion gallons a year, and 10 percent of all gas consumed in America last year contained ethanol. Many hope the use of ethanol will not only reduce dependence on foreign oil but save millions of dollars by using surplus grain for fuel instead of storing it.
The new gas is intended to not only be more economical than regular gas, but also more safe for the environment, reducing the production of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon tailpipe emissions.
Isaac Elnecave of the Michigan Environmental Council said ethanol gas may not be as beneficial as it has been made out to be.
“Ethanol is good and bad,” Elnecave said. “It’s a renewable resource and has a reduction in carbon monoxide emissions, which are good. If the fuel’s not made properly, however, there can be an increase in evaporative emissions which is one of the main components of smog.
“Ethanol is also more volatile than regular gas - there are better alternatives being developed.”
