Fuel Efficiency

Benefits of Gasoline-Ethanol Blends

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Many drivers swear by gasoline and ethanol mixtures (of which there are several varieties). There are many benefits to opting for this cleaner and more environmentally friendly approach to filling up, and every day more and more motorists are switching over to this popular renewable resource.

Better for Engine Health

As ethanol is infinitely cleaner than gasoline and free of sediment, it is better for the overall health of your vehicle’s engine. Your fuel filter will be able to more efficiently keep your fuel lines and engine clean, as less actual gasoline is used when combined with ethanol. This will result in your vehicle’s internal components and engine lasting several years longer than if using plain old gasoline, which is especially important to bear in mind if you’re the type to drive with as little gas in your tank as possible to cut costs. Driving this way with regular gasoline will clog your filter and damage vital components relatively quickly, but using an ethanol mixture helps to rectify this issue (even though it isn’t recommended).

Less Harmful on the Environment

Ethanol is a non-fossil fuel that is generally derived from sugarcane, corn, wheat, and other agricultural crops. As a renewable fuel source that burns more cleanly than straight gasoline, it produces less of a negative impact on the environment. In fact, ethanol’s ability to minimize emissions has been recognized by major important figures and parties. For example, Canada’s Renewable Fuels Regulations require that gasoline contains an average renewable fuel content of 5%, and many ethanol fuel mixtures contain anywhere between 10% and 85% of this cleaner resource.

Less Gasoline Consumption

When using an ethanol-blended gasoline, drivers are able to burn through their tanks a little more slowly. As a result of this dependence on multiple resources mixed together, vehicles using ethanol blends don’t need to be filled up at the gas station quite as often. Not only will this help to save drivers valuable dollars in today’s expensive motoring age, but also it will help to lower our collective carbon footprint through a reliance on ethanol and its benefits of being a more clean-burning fuel.

Fuel mixtures of ethanol blended with gasoline are still debated to this day due to various health and safety-related concerns. Until proven otherwise, however, it makes sense to opt for ethanol as a cleaner, renewable, and highly efficient resource that also helps to protect our vehicles from typical gasoline-related wear and tear.

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