Print This PageEthanol Facts
By extending the fuel supply, ethanol reduces U.S. dependence on oil by more than 170 million barrels a year.
The production of ethanol has a 34% energy gain, while the production of gasoline has a 19.5% energy loss, according to a 2004 USDA study.
In 2006, the United States produced more than 4.86 billion gallons of ethanol, up 24% from the previous year.
Gasoline enriched with ethanol burns cleaner, leaving fewer deposits, which keeps fuel injectors and intake valves cleaner.
The IndyCar® Series is powered by 100% fuel-grade ethanol-enriched fuel, and is the first racing series to switch completely to a renewable fuel.
Ethanol-enriched fuel burns cleaner, helping to remove gummy deposits in the fuel system, so engines can run with optimal performance.
The American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago credits ethanol-enriched fuel with the 25% reduction of smog-forming emissions in Chicago since 1990.
At the end of 2006, there were 110 ethanol plants operating in the United States and more than 75 plants under construction.
"Q: Dario, how does it feel to have won this race burning a hundred percent renewable fuel in your tank and how well did it perform in your car?
FRANCHITTI: I've had absolutely no problem with ethanol. I felt it worked really well. We were getting pretty good fuel mileage under the yellows today. I was quite happy for that. We knew the rain was coming. We were just hoping we had enough fuel to make it there, and we did."
--Dario Franchitti won this year's Indy 500, the first year all Indy cars ran on 100% ethanol.
From www.indycar.com.
