Understanding Fuel Options for Flex-Fuel Vehicles
Flex-fuel vehicles, or FFVs, are optimized to run on ethanol- and methanol-based fuels. But what happens if you put regular gasoline in the tank? Can regular gas be used in a flex-fuel vehicle?
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Yes, standard gasoline can be used in flex-fuel vehicles. The engine in FFVs is designed to run on gasoline and other fuels. This generally means a gas blend of ethanol and methanol. No matter what fuel you put into your FFV, it’s stored in the same tank.
What fuels should not be used in an FFV?
Do not put diesel or regular leaded gasoline inside an FFV. Admittedly, leaded gasoline is very rare these days, but if you happen to come across some, keep it out of your FFV tank. The flex-fuel designation generally means you can use E85 or regular unleaded gasoline in your vehicle.
Does using regular gas in a flex fuel vehicle harm the engine?
No. However, putting E85 in a vehicle not designed for it is harmful.
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What does the number in flex-fuels mean?
The number after the E in a fuel like “E85” refers to the percentage of ethanol that’s mixed in. E85 fuel, for example, is composed of 85% ethanol.
How does ethanol affect fuel economy?
With most FFVs, the more ethanol that’s in the fuel, the larger the drop in your fuel economy. The reason is that ethanol burns faster than regular gasoline.
Is ethanol better for the planet?
Though originally marketed as a “green” option, there’s debate over whether ethanol is actually better for the planet than fossil fuels. Ethanol typically comes from corn, so making it requires using a lot of land to grow and harvest. The corn must then be refined into ethanol. This whole process can be taxing to Mother Earth. However, ethanol is theoretically renewable, whereas fossil fuels are not.
