February 8, 1999

ETHANOL VEHICLE CHALLENGE Q&A

Q: What is E85, and where can I buy it?
A: E85 is the term for motor fuel blends of up to 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Kansas has one public E85 fueling station -- Topeka Travel Plaza, located at 1235 SW Wanamaker Road. Consumers are most familiar with E10, ethanol blends that contain around 10 percent ethanol. E10 blends account for 50 percent of the fuel market in the Midwest, said Steve Sorem, project manager for the Nebraska Ethanol Board.

Q: How can a car that runs on E85 also run on gasoline?
A: A flexible fuel vehicle (FFV) is specially designed to run on any ethanol fuel blend up to 85 percent ethanol. Special on-board diagnostics read the fuel blend, enabling drivers to fuel with E85 or with gasoline if E85 is not available, according to the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, Jefferson City, Mo. Ford, Chrysler and General Motors all offer FFVs in certain models in their 1999 product lines. In 1998 about 10,000 cars on the road were running on E85, Sorem said. With new FFV models from the big three auto makers, that number is expected to rise to 850,000.

Q: What schools are participating in the Ethanol Vehicle Challenge?
A: The University of Kansas
Cedarville College (Ohio)
Crowder College (Neosho, Mo.)
Idaho State University (Pocatello)
Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago)
Kettering University (Flint, Mich.)
Minnesota State University at Mankato
University of California at Riverside
University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Nebraska (Lincoln)
University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at El Paso
University of Waterloo (Waterloo, Ontario, Canada)
Wayne State University (Detroit)

Q: Who is sponsoring the Ethanol Vehicle Challenge?
A: Primary sponsors are the U.S. Department of Energy, General Motors Company and Natural Resources Canada. Other EVC sponsors are the Governors' Ethanol Coalition, the State of Nebraska, Renewable Fuels Assoc., Canadian Renewable Fuels Assoc., Illinois Dept. of Commerce and Community Affairs, Council of Great Lakes Governors, Illinois Corn Growers Assoc. and Williams Energy Co.

-30-

| KU Home Page | KUfacts | KU University Relations' Home Page | KU News
This site is maintained by University Relations, the public relations office for the University of Kansas Lawrence campus. Copyright 1999, the University of Kansas Office of University Relations, Lawrence, KS, U.S.A. Images may be reused with notice of copyright, but not altered. KU news releases may be reprinted without permission.
kurelations@ukans.edu, (785) 864-3256.