The executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association is disappointed that flex fuel vehicle offerings have taken a nosedive in 2021, negatively impacting sales of the E85 fuel blend.
Data from the Renewable Fuels Association shows only two automakers ? Ford and General Motors ? are offering flex fuel vehicles in 2021. Only 11 models will be on the market with five of those models available only to fleet purchasers. Monte Shaw with the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association says the lack of flex fuel vehicle options will have a negative impact on sales of E85.
?What we saw with E85 (sales) is we saw it drop pretty hard, not just in terms of total gallons but also in terms of percentage,? Shaw said. ?It?s really sad because we have more E85 stations available today than we ever have before. It?s priced as attractively today as it?s ever been before. Everywhere I go to buy E85 ? which is what I buy ? it is priced to where it is the best cost-per-mile fuel on the market today. You?re not going to be able to drive down the road per mile any cheaper than on E85.?
Shaw says the lack of flex fuel vehicle production began as a result of changes that were made during the Obama Administration to Corporate Average Fuel Economy credits.
?The problem is that starting in about 2016, because the federal law changed and some of the credits auto dealers used to get for producing FFV?s went away, we?re seeing fewer and fewer models at a time when we supposedly want to promote low-carbon fuels,? Shaw said. ?It?s also a time when the economy is not doing real good because of the challenges of COVID and here?s a way to save money with a cheaper fuel, yet fewer vehicles can run E85.?
Presently, there are more than 5,000 fuel stations selling E85 and other flex fuels in the United States. Shaw remains hopeful this downward manufacturing trend can reverse course down the road.
