Cheaper price creates ethanol envy on Long Island

The few drivers on Long Island whose cars are ethanol friendly are getting a steal at the pump, causing ethanol envy in the minds and wallets of many. A gallon of E85 ethanol mixture is going for $3.27.

News 12 Staff

Aug 2, 2008, 12:00 AM

Updated 6,032 days ago

Share:

The few drivers on Long Island whose cars are ethanol friendly are getting a steal at the pump, causing ethanol envy in the minds and wallets of many.
A gallon of E85 ethanol mixture is going for $3.27. McBirney?s Auto Service in Massapequa is one of the first stations on Long Island to sell the new type of fuel, and workers say they?re selling a lot.
There are only about 50,000 cars that can take E85 on the road on Long Island. Despite its cheap price, there are downsides to the fuel. Drivers say their vehicles typically get one or two miles less per gallon than they would with standard fuel.
AAA says it likes the idea of alternative fuels, but says that since corn is used to make E85, the demand is driving up food prices.
?You need about 450 pounds of corn to make enough ethanol to fill one SUV, one time,? Robert Sinclair, of AAA, says.
Most of the cars that are E85 equipped are newer GM vehicles, but other major car makers do offer Flex-Fuel options to help motorists save money. Flex-Fuel cars are vehicles that can run on gasoline or on different blends of fuel.
There are kits available to transform vehicles into Flex-Fuel cars. Experts say they will soon be more readily available now that the fuel is gaining popularity.
Click for more on Flex-Fuel vehicles
E-85 station on Long IslandMcBirney's Auto Service (Sunoco) 720 Broadway Massapequa , NY 11758(516) 798-9056National Ethanol Vehicle CoalitionEPA: Alternative FuelsFlex Fuel US