Buying E85 online..
Oct 19, 2007, 04:10 PM
#18
Here is some more information on a new offering of ethanol blended gasoline.
A 50/50 blend could be a very good street alternative fuel IMO.
Begin Fueling
- Source: Agweek, Oct. 8, 2007
They turned on the blender pumps Oct. 4 at the Border States Cooperative convenience store in Ortonville, Minn. Blender pumps were scheduled to go online Oct. 5 in Belgrade, Minn.
“This is the first of its kind in the state of Minnesota,” says Dick Strei, a Border States board member and farmer from Big Stone, S.D. “Prior to today, we had our choice of E85 or E10, and now we have a choice of selecting E20, E30 or E85 or the standard E10.” Strei, who made an appearance at the store with board members Evan Holker and Bruce Hoernemann, both of Ortonville, says they hope the blender pumps will increase the consumption of ethanol.
“The rural communities are very supportive of the ethanol industry and would like a choice, the ability, to use more ethanol because none of the older vehicles are rated for E85 consumption.” Holker says he'll use E50. “It's going to give you a little better mileage, possibly, than E85, in older vehicles."
Mel Domine, general manager for Border States, which sells fuel at five convenience stores and two other service stations in area towns, says the blends are officially targeted at vehicle owners with flex-fuel systems designed to run on E85.
Offering a choice
The blender pumps will allow people to choose other blends.
“We know there are safe blends that will run in other vehicles,” Domine says. “It's up to that individual what they're going to put in that tank.”
The co-op's decisions to expand the blender pump use in other towns will depend on how they do in Ortonville. Some stations are in small towns with low volume and a conversion might not be practical.
Border States Cooperative held a grand opening for the blender pumps on Oct. 11 to officially kick off the use of the blender pumps.
“It'll be as much of the corn as we can offer,” Domine says.
Minnesota pays up to $10,000 in costs for installing E85 pumps. A year ago, Border States installed the blender equipment during a $50,000 installation of a new tank, plumbing and dispenser. He says the co-op decided to include the blender equipment on the assumption it eventually would be legal and only turned it on now, after it was approved by the state.
Steve Kleespies of Morris, Minn., works for Westmor Industries L.L.C. The company installs gasoline tanks and related equipment. Kleespies was instrumental in working with the Minnesota Weights and Measures agency to allow blends between E10 and E85. He says the blender equipment is no more expensive than installing the standard equipment.
Kleespies says a year from now, he'd expect there might be upward of 100 sites in the state to offer the blender pumps. Stations already set up for E85 will have an easy time adapting and some that had been reluctant to put in E85 might be more inclined to do so if customers can choose intermediate blends, such as E20, E30 and E50.
Boosting usage
Merle Anderson of Climax, Minn., a longtime promoter of ethanol fuels, traveled to Ortonville for the first day of blender pump operation. He says stations in Watertown and Britton, S.D., have increased ethanol usage by using the blender pumps.
In Watertown, a station had been selling only three transport trailers of E85 per month before switching to blender pumps. Afterward, they were using 30 transports. Owen Jones, an American Coalition for Ethanol director, who also is on the board of 4 Seasons Cooperative of Britton, also traveled to Ortonville and pumped his vehicle full of an intermediate blend. He says 4 Seasons doubled its use of ethanol when it installed blender pumps.
“I think we need to recognize that CHS, Inc., has been very supportive of this process,” Jones says. He says the blends are needed to avert a crisis of finding additional markets for ethanol. With the low prices for ethanol, some of the ethanol plants that have been planned for construction are being put on hold. He worries that without better marketing with blender pumps, the investments in small, community-based ethanol plants in the region will be jeopardized.
NEVC Note: The use of blender pumps has caused a significant amount of concern among members of the NEVC. Strictly speaking, any level of ethanol may be introduced into an FFV. Thus, drivers of FFVs can use the blender pumps and be assured that their vehicles have been designed, engineered, and manufactured to use various blends of ethanol. Persons that introduce blends of ethanol into a non-flexible fuel motor vehicle that exceeds 10% alcohol should be aware that they may be violating federal laws and may be subject to significant fines from the U.S. EPA.
The NEVC wishes to be clear that we strongly support the use of high level blends of ethanol in motor vehicles that are designed to handle such fuels. We strongly discourage the introduction of high level blends of ethanol into vehicles that were not designed to operate on blends exceeding 10% ethanol. Use of high level blends of alcohol in non FFVs may damage the emissions control equipment, harm the fuel system, and result in engine damage.
A 50/50 blend could be a very good street alternative fuel IMO.
Begin Fueling
- Source: Agweek, Oct. 8, 2007
They turned on the blender pumps Oct. 4 at the Border States Cooperative convenience store in Ortonville, Minn. Blender pumps were scheduled to go online Oct. 5 in Belgrade, Minn.
“This is the first of its kind in the state of Minnesota,” says Dick Strei, a Border States board member and farmer from Big Stone, S.D. “Prior to today, we had our choice of E85 or E10, and now we have a choice of selecting E20, E30 or E85 or the standard E10.” Strei, who made an appearance at the store with board members Evan Holker and Bruce Hoernemann, both of Ortonville, says they hope the blender pumps will increase the consumption of ethanol.
“The rural communities are very supportive of the ethanol industry and would like a choice, the ability, to use more ethanol because none of the older vehicles are rated for E85 consumption.” Holker says he'll use E50. “It's going to give you a little better mileage, possibly, than E85, in older vehicles."
Mel Domine, general manager for Border States, which sells fuel at five convenience stores and two other service stations in area towns, says the blends are officially targeted at vehicle owners with flex-fuel systems designed to run on E85.
Offering a choice
The blender pumps will allow people to choose other blends.
“We know there are safe blends that will run in other vehicles,” Domine says. “It's up to that individual what they're going to put in that tank.”
The co-op's decisions to expand the blender pump use in other towns will depend on how they do in Ortonville. Some stations are in small towns with low volume and a conversion might not be practical.
Border States Cooperative held a grand opening for the blender pumps on Oct. 11 to officially kick off the use of the blender pumps.
“It'll be as much of the corn as we can offer,” Domine says.
Minnesota pays up to $10,000 in costs for installing E85 pumps. A year ago, Border States installed the blender equipment during a $50,000 installation of a new tank, plumbing and dispenser. He says the co-op decided to include the blender equipment on the assumption it eventually would be legal and only turned it on now, after it was approved by the state.
Steve Kleespies of Morris, Minn., works for Westmor Industries L.L.C. The company installs gasoline tanks and related equipment. Kleespies was instrumental in working with the Minnesota Weights and Measures agency to allow blends between E10 and E85. He says the blender equipment is no more expensive than installing the standard equipment.
Kleespies says a year from now, he'd expect there might be upward of 100 sites in the state to offer the blender pumps. Stations already set up for E85 will have an easy time adapting and some that had been reluctant to put in E85 might be more inclined to do so if customers can choose intermediate blends, such as E20, E30 and E50.
Boosting usage
Merle Anderson of Climax, Minn., a longtime promoter of ethanol fuels, traveled to Ortonville for the first day of blender pump operation. He says stations in Watertown and Britton, S.D., have increased ethanol usage by using the blender pumps.
In Watertown, a station had been selling only three transport trailers of E85 per month before switching to blender pumps. Afterward, they were using 30 transports. Owen Jones, an American Coalition for Ethanol director, who also is on the board of 4 Seasons Cooperative of Britton, also traveled to Ortonville and pumped his vehicle full of an intermediate blend. He says 4 Seasons doubled its use of ethanol when it installed blender pumps.
“I think we need to recognize that CHS, Inc., has been very supportive of this process,” Jones says. He says the blends are needed to avert a crisis of finding additional markets for ethanol. With the low prices for ethanol, some of the ethanol plants that have been planned for construction are being put on hold. He worries that without better marketing with blender pumps, the investments in small, community-based ethanol plants in the region will be jeopardized.
NEVC Note: The use of blender pumps has caused a significant amount of concern among members of the NEVC. Strictly speaking, any level of ethanol may be introduced into an FFV. Thus, drivers of FFVs can use the blender pumps and be assured that their vehicles have been designed, engineered, and manufactured to use various blends of ethanol. Persons that introduce blends of ethanol into a non-flexible fuel motor vehicle that exceeds 10% alcohol should be aware that they may be violating federal laws and may be subject to significant fines from the U.S. EPA.
The NEVC wishes to be clear that we strongly support the use of high level blends of ethanol in motor vehicles that are designed to handle such fuels. We strongly discourage the introduction of high level blends of ethanol into vehicles that were not designed to operate on blends exceeding 10% ethanol. Use of high level blends of alcohol in non FFVs may damage the emissions control equipment, harm the fuel system, and result in engine damage.
Oct 19, 2007, 04:11 PM
#19
More info...
Below is a list of fueling facilities which have installed E85 since the issuance of our last NEVC newsletter.
The following 12 facilities are or will soon be carrying the clean-burning, alternative—E85:
Express Lane #50 32000 Illinois Route 2 Hillsdale IL
Aisha Wash & Fuel Island - Citgo 5549 West Diversey Avenue Chicago IL
Mitten Travel Center I-70 & US 40 Junction Oakley KS
Bentz Oil Company 222 Northeast 4th Street Grand Rapids MN
MFA Oil Company - Petro Card 24 Highway 136 West Memphis MO
Thoele Convenience Stores ZX #1 Douglas Square Troy MO
The Kounty Line - Airport 441 Airport Road Arden NC
Village Mobil, Inc. 88 Wolf Drive Albany NY
Glocker Oil - Pacific Pride 4407 US Route 23 Piketon OH
Pilot #104 9550 Northshore Drive Knoxville TN
Grocery Boys 3430 North Crestline Spokane WA
Kwik Trip #743 1870 US Highway 10 & WI - 114 Menasha WI
There are currently 1,336 E85 stations available across the United States. For a complete listing, go to www.E85Refueling.com.
Below is a list of fueling facilities which have installed E85 since the issuance of our last NEVC newsletter.
The following 12 facilities are or will soon be carrying the clean-burning, alternative—E85:
Express Lane #50 32000 Illinois Route 2 Hillsdale IL
Aisha Wash & Fuel Island - Citgo 5549 West Diversey Avenue Chicago IL
Mitten Travel Center I-70 & US 40 Junction Oakley KS
Bentz Oil Company 222 Northeast 4th Street Grand Rapids MN
MFA Oil Company - Petro Card 24 Highway 136 West Memphis MO
Thoele Convenience Stores ZX #1 Douglas Square Troy MO
The Kounty Line - Airport 441 Airport Road Arden NC
Village Mobil, Inc. 88 Wolf Drive Albany NY
Glocker Oil - Pacific Pride 4407 US Route 23 Piketon OH
Pilot #104 9550 Northshore Drive Knoxville TN
Grocery Boys 3430 North Crestline Spokane WA
Kwik Trip #743 1870 US Highway 10 & WI - 114 Menasha WI
There are currently 1,336 E85 stations available across the United States. For a complete listing, go to www.E85Refueling.com.
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