Ethanol Groups Seek E15 Expansion

Growth Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association and the National Corn Growers Association filed a brief in late August in federal court supporting the year-round sale of vehicle fuel containing as much as 15 percent ethanol (E15).

The AMA opposes expansion of E15 sales because it would increase the chance of inadvertent misfueling of motorcycles.

None of the estimated 22 million motorcycles and ATVs in use in the United States is certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to operate on fuel containing more than 10 percent ethanol (E10).

The AMA also opposes E15 and any fuel containing more than 10 percent ethanol, because it can cause engine and fuel system failure to motorcycles and ATVs and can void manufacturers’ warranties.

According to the EPA, “ethanol impacts motor vehicles in two primary ways. First … ethanol enleans the ratio (increases the proportion of oxygen relative to hydrocarbons) which can lead to increased exhaust gas temperatures and potentially increase incremental deterioration of emission control hardware and performance over time, possibly causing catalyst failure. Second, ethanol can cause materials compatibility issues, which may lead to other component failures.”

Retailers have been labeling E15 fuel as “Unleaded 88,” masking the higher ethanol content behind a marketing ploy and further increasing the chance misfueling by motorcyclists.

In 2019, the EPA permitted year-round E15 sales after banning it during the summer months, because of the higher risk of air pollution. The legal brief from the ethanol producers was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in a lawsuit brought by oil companies to reverse the EPA’s 2019 regulation.