Warsaw is one of only two locations in Indiana to offer the new E85 fuel.

E85 now is available at the Freedom Express station on Argonne Road in Warsaw. The other station is in Terre Haute. The fuel is a blend of up to 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline and is less expensive than regular unleaded gasoline. Today's prices at the Freedom Express station list E85 at $1.69 per gallon, compared to $2.28 per gallon for regular unleaded and $2.39 for diesel fuel.

According to a local Freedom Oil representative, people are coming to Warsaw from other areas and even outside Indiana to purchase the fuel for existing Flexible Fuel Vehicles.

Mark Hayes, with Sen. Richard Lugar's office in Washington, said all state vehicles in Indiana eventually will be equipped to operate on E85. The Indy Racing League will switch to ethanol for fuel in 2007.

In addition to price, the primary benefits to E85 are that it burns cleaner than gasoline and comes in a renewable supply that reduces the need for foreign oil and fossil fuel. Ethanol is a high-octane, liquid, domestic fuel, produced by the fermentation of plant sugars, typically produced from corn and other grain products in the United States.

Government tests have shown that E85 vehicles reduce harmful hydrocarbon and benzene emissions when compared to vehicles running on gasoline. Ethanol also reduces carbon dioxide, a major contributor to global warming. Although carbon dioxide is released during ethanol production and combustion, it is recycled as a nutrient to the crops that are used to produce it. Ethanol also is non-toxic, water soluble and biodegradable.

The only drawback to using E85 fuel is that vehicles must be specially designed to run on any ethanol fuel blend. Flexible Fuel Vehicles will run on any ethanol fuel blend up to 85 percent. Special on-board diagnostics "read" the fuel blend, enabling drivers to fuel with E85 or gasoline. E85 also has superior performance characteristics because of its high octane rating (100 plus, compared to gasoline's 87).

Today, Ford Motor Co., General Motors and DaimlerChrysler Corp. all offer E85 engines as standard equipment in new vehicles, and little to no additional cost is incurred. The vehicles are proven reliable and come with factory warranties. There are more than 5 million E85 capable vehicles in the U.S. and about 1 million additional vehicles expected annually. For more information on which vehicles are FFV, contact an automobile dealer.

Sen. Lugar supports the E85 initiative and has co-sponsored an amendment to the transportation bill to provide a tax credit to gas stations encouraging them to install and/or convert pumps that offer E85 ethanol. With the number of current and future FFVs, Lugar estimates that the U.S. could realize an immediate reduction in gasoline consumption by approximately 4.5 billion gallons per year and an annual eduction in fleet greenhouse gas emissions of 26.5 million tons.

Lugar also co-sponsored an amendment to pass an E85 labeling requirement for vehicles sold in the U.S. This amendment would ensure that those vehicles sold in the U.S. are clearly labeled so owners are aware of their E85 capabilities. He also introduced renewable fuels legislation this year that more than doubles production and use of domestic renewable fuels including ethanol, biodiesel and fuels produced from cellulosic biomass. This legislation was included in the comprehensive Senate energy bill.

This bill requires the use of 4 billion gallons of renewable fuels per year in 2006, increasing to 8 billion gallons per year by 2012. It also encourages federal agencies to use ethanol and biodiesel in their fleet vehicles. It includes Lugar's National Security and Bioenergy Investment Act of 2005, which would rapidly expand research into biomass energy and biobased products and would update the Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000.

For more information on Lugar's efforts, visit lugar.senate.gov For information on E85 fuel and its availability, visit the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition Web site, www.e85fuel.com [[In-content Ad]]