In This Issue:

FYI Newsletter Volume 8, Issue 17, October 24, 2003 


•   Grand Opening of New E85 Station in Maise, KS

•   Iowa State University's Cyclone Racing Team Uses E85

•   Missouri Technical College Displays E85 Vehicle

•   DOE Pumping Grain Alcohol to Fuel Fleet

•   US Crude Oil Imports Reach an All-Time High

•   Letters to the NEVC

Grand Opening of New E85 Station in Maise, KS
 

Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius pumped fuel and addressed a large gathering at the Kwik Shop fueling station at 5340 North Maize Road in Maize, Kansas, near Wichita, on October 21, 2003. The Governor attended in celebration of the facility’s new E85 fueling pump. 

Governor Sebelius commented on the value of ethanol to the economy and farmers. Earlier this year she signed a bill mandating the state to use ethanol blended fuels when possible.  She also stated that the state will be purchasing more E85 compatible vehicles in months to come.

Following her remarks, the governor filled up the Kansas Corn Commission’s flexible-fuel Ford Taurus with clean-burning E85.

Present, among others, were State Senator Les Donovan Sr., Kansas Corn Commission Executive Director Jere White; Kansas Corn Commissioner Dan Guetterman of Bucyrus; and representatives from Ethanol Products, Inc.

"The Corn Commission has been working for years to increase the production of ethanol and the use of ethanol in our state," Commissioner Guetterman said. "Our goal is to increase profitability for our corn growers, and ethanol production can be a big part of that."

The station's E85 pump was funded in part by the Kansas Corn Commission, the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, and ICM, Inc., a Colwich-based ethanol plant developer.  The completed project exhibits the NEVC’s goal of establishing partnerships with local organizations in order to establish and support the long term growth of E85 fueling sites.

Kansas has an additional E85 location at the Topeka Truck & Travel Center Texaco at 1235 Wanamaker Road in Topeka.   

Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Adrian Polansky (above) and State Senator Les Donovan, Sr. (below) pumped E85.
 

 

Iowa State University's Cyclone Racing Team Uses E85

The Iowa State University Cyclone Racing Formula Team has joined the effort to promote E85 as an alternative transportation fuel.  This year, the team’s racecar will be running on the clean-burning, high-octane fuel. 

“The team has built its ethanol platform with three major focuses:  Promoting ethanol, helping the Iowa and Midwest economies, and demonstrating a high performance engine running on ethanol,” said Andy Eis, Project Director for the team. 

In May of 2004, the team will be traveling with the car to Pontiac, Michigan to compete in design, cost, marketing and racing events.  The NEVC, along with other groups, will be cosponsoring the team in their efforts. 

“Along with our team’s never ending search for power, there is strong dedication to supporting ethanol’s effect on our local economy,” commented Eis.  “As students, Cyclone Racing members are in a unique position to educate themselves about economical and environmental concerns early in their careers.” 

“The National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition is pleased to be part of the effort to support the Iowa State team.  This and similar programs not only serve to advance our outreach activities to promote E85, but also allows tomorrow’s leaders to become familiar with domestic renewable fuels,” said Phil Lampert, Executive Director of the NEVC. 

For more information about the competition in May, visit http://www.sae.org/students/formula.htm.

 

Missouri Technical College Displays E85 Vehicle

Linn State Technical College (LSTC) in Linn, Missouri, is educating its students, faculty, staff and visitors on the benefits of 85% ethanol.  The college, specializing in advanced technical education, recently began displaying a DaimlerChrysler flexible-fuel minivan in their atrium. 

“As a college we are always looking at new technologies to help prepare our students for the world of work,” said Dr. J. Rick Mihalevich, Dean of Institutional Technology at LSTC.  “Jim Brandon, an Automotive Technology instructor, suggested that we display the Flexible Fuel Vehicle which had been donated to the college by Daimler-Chrysler.  Other displays have included aircrafts honoring 100 years of flight, drag racing technology, commercial turf and grounds display, and displays honoring our military.”   

E85 informational materials and E85 vehicle signage have been supplied to LSTC by the NEVC. 

Alternative fuels have often been an area of study at the institution but recently E85 been a major focus.  “Annually we sponsor an Automotive Technology Summer Institute, in the past we had alternative fuels and bio fuels on the agenda of the institute,” said Mihalevich.  

“We look to learn more about environmentally responsible practices and technologies that hold promise for the future,” commented Mihalevich.  “E85 appears to be both, therefore; we hope our students and institution can benefit from greater understanding of E85.”

DOE Pumping Grain Alcohol to Fuel Fleet

-by R. Cathey Daniels of Oakridger.com
 cathey.daniels@oakridger.com

 The Department of Energy is going green. Or at least yellow.

Jim Thompson, director of facilities and management at the Oak Ridge field office said Wednesday that $264,000 has recently been invested to complete a third alternative fuel station, this one at the Laboratory Road side of the federal building.

If you listen to the news and are halfway intelligent you understand that we cannot continue to be dependent on foreign oil," said Thompson. "This is not black gold, it's yellow gold from grain or corn, that can help farmers and if the price keeps coming down can help the economy."

The fuel, which is currently used in about a third of town-site DOE vehicles, is made from 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Now that the funds and support are in for the infrastructure, Thompson says that within three years DOE should be driving a fleet of about 75 percent grain alcohol-powered vehicles.

Construction should be complete toward the end of the month, and the first car should be fueled November 3, 2003.

The first pump station was placed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the late 1990s, and a second is located on the west side of the Y-12 National Security Complex.

The federal building pump station will initially hold about 3,000 gallons of the alternative fuel, and 3,000 gallons of unleaded gasoline. But once the alternative fuel vehicle fleet is built up, the station will go 100 percent alternative.

DOE plans to purchase about a dozen alternative-fueled vehicles this year for its town-site travel.

The funds come from the Idaho Operations field office.

U.S. Crude Oil Imports Reach an All-Time High
Crude Oil Imports have reached a record high in the U.S., reports the American Petroleum Institute (API).  In September API reported an 18 percent increase in imported petroleum compared to a year ago. Total imports—crude oil and refined products such as gasoline and heating fuels—were up 16.8 percent at 12.932 million b/d.

Combined with a 13 percent increase in various refined overseas products compared to a year ago, total imports represented two-thirds of the U.S. market share in September. So far this year, imports have accounted for an average of about 62 percent of U.S. consumer supplies, the API report said. Imports of distillate fuel, used for heating and diesel, were up 92.3 percent from a year ago and gasoline imports averaged 820,000 b/d, up nearly 1 percent from last September, the report said.

“I personally find this continued trend of increasing imports of foreign crude very disappointing,” stated Phil Lampert, Executive Director of the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition.  “Having lived through the first ‘oil crisis’ of the early 1970s, I can remember gas lines, not being allowed to purchase gasoline on Sundays, and odd-even days of purchases based on your license plate numbers.  I recall then that imports were near 35 percent of the total national consumption.  One must reflect a bit as to the progress, or lack thereof, our nation has made to overcome this dependence on imported crude.”

Lampert added, “One bright spot in this trend is clearly the production and use of ethanol.  The U.S. produces nearly 2 billion gallons of ethanol each year with more than 20 new plants currently under construction or in the planning process.”

With this new API report, is there really any doubt that this nation must develop domestic, renewable forms of alternative transportation fuels? 

 
 
   

 Letters to the NEVC

Letters to the NEVC - This section highlights emails that the NEVC has recently received.  Many of the comments or suggestions that we receive are of interest to a wider audience and we would like to share them with our readers.

  

E85 in my Nissan

Hi there.  I own a 1996 Nissan Altima.  Can you direct me to someone who can tell me whether it is ok to use E85 either occasionally or consistently? 

Thanks,
Kent
Minnesota

. . .

Kent,

We recommend only flexible-fuel vehicles use E85.  While it shouldn’t harm your vehicle if you fuel with the product occasionally, your vehicle was not manufactured to be powered by E85.  You can see a complete listing of E85 compatible vehicles at www.E85Fuel.com.

Thank you for your interest in E85!

Thank you,
Michelle Kautz

Delaware Needs E85

PLEASE....Come to Delaware. We're paying nearly $1.97 per gallon.  WE NEED E-85... WHEN DO WE NEED IT???
                    NOW!

We here in Delaware are waiting for the day to come when we can fill-up with E-85. I purchased a Ford Taurus that uses gas OR Ethanol, so I'm ready.

God Bless America
Jean Stork
Milford, DE

E85 in Florida

I'm still waiting in Florida... :(  things look like they are really spreading, even as far as Tennessee!!!!  Come on Florida, let's get responsible.  

- Trish

. . .

Trish,

A station will soon be open in Jacksonville.   Unfortunately, it will only serve government fleet vehicles.  We're getting there, though!

-Michelle Kautz

. . .

YEAH FLORIDA!  Go Jacksonville, I am so excited!  Yes, that is definitely the first step.  Thank you so much for the information.

- Trish

Thanks for the emails to the NEVC!  Feel free to email us with your comments at anytime.

NEVC Calendar

 

October 29, 2003
Grand Opening of E85 tank at AppleTrail Travel Center at 1103 North Buckner Tarsney Road in Grain Valley, MO.  E85 for 85 cents will be available.

October 30, 2003
"Green Your Fleet" sponsored by the Connecticut Clean Cities at the Mohegan Sun Casino Conference Facility near Norwich, CT.  For more information, call Lee Grannis at (203) 627-3715.

January 10-14, 2004
American Farm Bureau Federation 85th Convention and Annual Meeting in Honolulu, HI.  For more information, visit www.fb.org.

March 2-4, 2004
Commodity Classic 2004 in Las Vegas, NV.  For more information, visit www.commodityclassic.com.
March 5-8, 2004
National Farmers Union Annual Convention at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center in Billings, MT.  For more information, contact (303) 337-5500.

March 15-17, 2004
Midwest Marketers Expo in Omaha, Nebraska.  For more information call (515) 224-7545.

April 17-20, 2004
 National Association of Fleet Administrators Conference in Atlanta, GA.  For more information, visit http://www.nafa.org/
May 2-5, 2004
10th Annual National Clean Cities Conference at Greater Ft. Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, FL.  For more information, visit http://www.ccities.doe.gov/conference/lauderdale/

July 20-22, 2004
FedFleet 2004:  The Road to the Future is Now at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, NY.  For more information, visit www.fedfleet.org.


 CONTACT US. . .

Please feel free to e-mail your story suggestions, comments, corrections or clarifications to us at info@e85fuel.com or call us toll free at 877-485-8595.

Phillip J. Lampert, Executive Director
info@e85.com

 Michelle Kautz (Saab), Director of Communications
 mkautz@e85fuel.com

Randa Barker, Director of Administration
info@e85.com

Louise Saucier, Membership Coordinator
lsaucier@E85Fuel.com

Christi Vander Voort, NEVC Iowa E85 Coordinator
cvandervoort@E85Fuel.com


You may view this FYI online at
http://www.e85fuel.com/news/index.htm

NEVC  promotes the use of 85 percent ethanol as a renewable form of alternative transportation fuel while enhancing agricultural profitability, advancing environmental stewardship and promoting national energy independence.