The E85 Puzzle: Double Credit for Half the Work
Published September 27, 2006
With minor changes and expense, DaimlerChrylser can make the Dodge Durango compatible for E85 fuel. As a result, the E85 Durango can be rated for 23 mpg—instead of the 13 mpg rating for the conventional Durango —even if its owners never use E85 fuel.
If you’re looking for small, fuel-efficient vehicles that use E85, you may be disappointed. Half of the 2006 flexible-fuel vehicles are full-sized pickups or SUVs, including the Dodge Durango (rated at 12 mpg in the city and 15 mpg on the highway).
Automakers’ tendency to make their largest vehicles E85 compatible is rooted in America's fuel economy rules. Since 1988, automakers have been allowed to assign flexible-fuel vehicles higher fuel economy ratings under the government’s CAFE fuel economy regulations. This means that a vehicle like the Durango, which averages 13 mpg would be rated at roughly 23 mpg for CAFE purposes, even if its owner never fueled it with E85.
| Current E85 Vehicles | ||
| Make and Model |
Conventional MPG
City / Highway |
E85 MPG
City / Highway |
| Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 2WD |
14 / 19
|
11 / 14
|
| Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 4WD |
14 / 18
|
11 / 14
|
| Chevrolet Monte Carlo |
21 / 31
|
16 / 24
|
| Chevrolet Impala |
21 / 31
|
16 / 23
|
| Chevrolet Silverado 1500 2WD |
16 / 20
|
12 / 16
|
| Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4WD |
15 / 19
|
11 / 14
|
| Chevrolet Suburban 1500 2WD |
14 / 19
|
11 / 14
|
| Chevrolet Suburban 1500 4WD |
14 / 18
|
11 / 14
|
| Chevrolet Tahoe 1500 2WD |
15 / 20
|
11 / 15
|
| Chevrolet Tahoe 1500 4WD |
14 / 18
|
11 / 14
|
| Chrysler Sebring |
21 / 28
|
15 / 20
|
| Dodge Caravan 2WD |
19 / 26
|
13 / 17
|
| Dodge Durango 2WD/4WD |
12 / 15
|
9 / 11
|
| Dodge Ram 1500 Pickup 2WD/4WD |
12 / 15
|
9 / 11
|
| Dodge Stratus 4 Door |
21 / 28
|
15 / 20
|
| Ford Crown Victoria |
17 / 25
|
12 / 18
|
| Ford F150 Pickup FFV 2WD |
14 / 19
|
11 / 14
|
| Ford F150 Pickup FFV 4WD |
14 / 18
|
10 / 13
|
| Ford Taurus |
19 / 27
|
15 / 20
|
| GMC Sierra 1500 2WD |
16 / 20
|
12 / 16
|
| GMC Sierra 1500 4WD |
15 / 19
|
11 / 14
|
| GMC Yukon 1500 2WD |
15 / 20
|
11 / 15
|
| GMC Yukon 1500 4WD |
14 / 18
|
11 / 14
|
| GMC Yukon XL 1500 2WD |
14 / 19
|
11 / 14
|
| GMC Yukon XL 1500 4WD |
14 / 18
|
11 / 14
|
| Lincoln Town Car |
17 / 25
|
12 / 18
|
| Mercury Grand Marquis |
17 / 25
|
12 / 18
|
| Nissan Titan 2WD |
14 / 19
|
10 / 14
|
| Nissan Titan 4WD |
14 / 18
|
10 / 13
|
While the CAFE credit for flexible-fuel vehicles has been opposed by many environmental groups, it is largely responsible for motivating automakers to produce vehicles that use E85. The National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition estimates that five million E-85 compatible vehicles have been sold in the United States, with roughly 3.5 million of those cars and trucks on the road in 2004.
Making a car E85-compatible requires changes to the fuel system since ethanol is more corrosive than gasoline and has different combustion characteristics. However, these changes are relatively minor, and add little (if any) additional cost to the buyer. Unfortunately, making the changes yourself to make a existing gasoline vehicle run on E85 is prohibited by the EPA, and no licensed aftermarket conversion companies exist to perform the service. If you want to use E85, you’ll have to buy a flexible-fuel vehicle that was built to be ethanol-compatible at the factory.
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