Autos: fuels: e10, e15, and e85

Self-tutoring about auto fuels: the tutor begins about ethanol mixes.

e10, e15, and e85 are gasoline fuels with ethanol mixed in. As I understand it, the number after the “e” is the maximum percentage ethanol the fuel may theoretically contain, the rest being gasoline. Therefore, e10 may contain up to 10% ethanol, for example.

It seems that any gasoline-powered vehicle can run on e10. Flex-fuel designated vehicles, or else light-duty ones 2001 and newer, can use e15. Only flex-fuel vehicles can use any of e10, e15, or e85.

Ethanol’s energy content is about 2/3 that of gasoline.

Source:

eia.gov