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End-Use Markets

Ethanol Use in the Market

To date, the U.S. has integrated ethanol into the market in two ways:

  • Low-level blends (what is referred to as E10, which is a 10 percent blend of ethanol with gasoline)
  • High-level ethanol blends (E85, which is 85 percent ethanol mixed with gasoline).
  • High-level ethanol blends are primarily used in the Midwest, where much of the ethanol is produced.

Intermediate blends of ethanol (those that range between E10 and E85) still need to be investigated before they can be integrated into the marketplace.

Sustainable feedstock production includes all of the steps required to produce biomass feedstocks to the point they are ready to be collected or harvested from the field or forest.Feedstock logistics encompasses all of the unit operations necessary to move biomass feedstocks from the land to the biorefinery.Biological matter is used to produce transportation fuels, chemicals, and heat and power.Biofuels Infrastructure moves the fuel from a biorefining plant to the pump.Bioenergy is used to power today's vehicles.Biomass to Biofuels supply chain diagram with red highlight of end use segment. Feedstock production (photo of two men in a field of switchgrass) leads to feedstock logistics (photo of combine harvester in corn field), which leads to biofuels production (photo of biorefinery), which leads to biofuels distribution (photo of fuel pump for E85), which leads to biofuels end use (photo of car).

Vehicles

Flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs) can operate on any blend of ethanol with gasoline up to 85 percent (E85). About six million FFVs have been manufactured for the U.S. market, at a price competitive with conventional vehicles.

All vehicles manufactured since 1978 can run on E10. Current warranties for conventional vehicles would be voided if the cars were run on levels of ethanol higher than E10.

Information about converting vehicles to run on biofuels can be found at the Alternative Fuels Data Center.

Fuel Dispensing

Gasoline dispensers are not currently designed for storing and dispensing ethanol blends beyond E10. For high-levels of ethanol (E85) pumps designed and manufactured to dispense this fuel are available, but do not yet carry the Underwriters' Laboratories (UL) certification. Some Fire Marshals can grant certification in lieu of the UL certification (as in Minnesota).