The EPA approved the sale of a cheaper fuel, but can your car run on it?

(NEXSTAR) – In a bid to lower gas prices, the Environmental Protection Agency announced last week that it would allow the widespread sale of a higher ethanol gas blend. While it’s typically cheaper, the fuel may not be safe for your vehicle.

The EPA’s decision came days before the national average price for a gallon of gas surpassed $4 on Tuesday. It’s the first time prices have risen that high since 2022.

That same year, the EPA began issuing short-term waivers to allow the sale of the higher ethanol gas blend through the summer months. The agency has been doing the same ever since.

The blend, known as E15 or unleaded 88, was typically not sold between May and mid-September over concerns that using it could increase smog during the warmer months. While studies have shown that ethanol generally burns cleaner than gasoline, environmentalists have said that higher corn production could lead to higher use of fertilizers, which are a leading source of water pollution. 

E15 has less gasoline content, which is replaced by corn-based ethanol. This can make it 5 to 10 cents cheaper per gallon than regular unleaded gasoline, Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, told Nexstar last year.

In Green Bay, for example, GasBuddy listings showed unleaded 88 for anywhere between 1 and 20 cents cheaper than regular gasoline across the stations with the lowest prices as of Tuesday morning.

Before you opt for unleaded 88 at the pump, you may want to confirm your vehicle can run on the higher-ethanol blend.

The EPA has approved E15 for vehicles that are 2001 models and newer, De Haan explained, though not all manufacturers have adopted the parts needed to accommodate ethanol fuels. 

Smaller engines, like those in motorcycles and boats, also typically cannot accommodate fuel with higher ethanol concentrations, De Haan noted. The Energy Department also lists off-road vehicles, vehicles older than model year 2001, those with heavy-duty engines, and engines in equipment like lawn mowers and chainsaws, as prohibited from using E15.

You may not find it everywhere yet, either, which is a key reason not all are convinced the EPA’s move will substantially lower gas prices. It isn’t available in all states, and some places don’t have the necessary infrastructure or enough of a supply of ethanol to ramp up use, said Kenneth Gillingham, a professor at the Yale School of the Environment who studies the impacts of transportation regulations on prices, emissions, and consumer welfare.

E15 is allowed in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, Missouri, Wisconsin, and most of South Dakota, according to the Renewable Fuels Association, an ethanol trade group. The association said it’s also legal in cities that require reformulated gasoline, or gasoline blended with the intent to burn more cleanly.

GasBuddy does allow you to search for gas stations near you selling unleaded 88.

Meanwhile, more corn used for ethanol also means less can be used for animal feed, said Jason Hill, a professor at the University of Minnesota who studies food, energy markets and environmental consequences. That means consumers could be trading lower costs at the pump for higher costs at the grocery store.

“I think it’s difficult to see, when the ledger’s settled, how this is a benefit for U.S. consumers,” Hill said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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