Politicians push E15 as a lower-cost gasoline option, but should you be using it? | Opinion

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids are patting themselves, and each other, on the back for getting the state a waiver to allow sales of E15 fuel this summer.

Whether that’s a good thing or not is an open question. It can save you money at the pump, but if you don’t know what E15 is and how and when to use it, you could wind up damaging your engine and your wallet.

E15, also known as “Unleaded 88” is a fuel blend that’s approximately 85% gasoline and 15% ethanol. Ordinary car fuel is E10 and contains 10% ethanol to 90% gasoline.

E15’s been around for years. Until last year, the Environmental Protection Agency banned it in summer months in Kansas and other states on the grounds that extra evaporation of ethanol during hot weather contributes to air pollution.

But when the Russians invaded Ukraine and sent gas prices soaring, the EPA decided the extra smog wasn’t that big a deal after all and approved E15 use through the summer of 2022. This year, Kelly and Davids, along with other Midwest politicians, asked for and got another summer waiver for E15.

The pluses of that are outlined in press releases from the governor and the representative.

From Kelly: “With inflation still burdening our families and workers, it is essential that Kansans have a less expensive alternative fuel option to get to work, drive their kids to school or travel across our great state.”

And from Davids: “Folks are already dealing with high costs right now, and this emergency waiver lowers the cost of gas while also supporting local agricultural producers and reducing our country’s dependence on foreign oil supply.”

That’s all true, as far as it goes. E15 is a dime or so cheaper than ordinary fuel at the pump, stretches gasoline supplies and does support Midwest growers who can sell more corn to make ethanol.

But there’s a downside to E15 that the government and the corn lobby doesn’t like to talk about.

Ethanol is harder on engine components than pure gasoline. It’s not generally a problem because practically all cars except antiques can tolerate up to 10% ethanol, which is about 95% of the fuel sold in America.

But in a lot of vehicles, 15% ethanol is too much.

It can, over time, degrade plastic components used in the fuel pump, fuel-delivery system and emission controls, leading to premature failures and expensive repairs. Whether those repairs are covered by the car’s warranty varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and even model to model.

Even the government says don’t ever use E15 in small engines, like motorcycles, lawn mowers and chainsaws.

But the problem is, when most people buy gasoline, they’re used to just choosing regular, midgrade or premium. They don’t know specifics of what’s in the fuel, and just assume that it’s OK to use it.

The EPA says — and has for a long time — that E15 fuel is fine for cars from the 2001 model year forward. They say they tested E15 in a variety of vehicles and found no harm.

But that’s not what the owner’s manual for my wife’s 2016 Nissan Juke says.

It cautions: “E-15 fuel contains more than 10% oxygenate. E-15 fuel will adversely affect the emission control devices and systems of the vehicle and should not be used. Damage caused by such fuel is not covered by the NISSAN new vehicle limited warranty.”

Nissan don’t make Jukes anymore, but the manual for its successor vehicle, the Kicks, has the same warning this year.

I could only find one gas station chain in Wichita that carries E15 — Casey’s General Stores.

Casey’s calls it by its other name, “Unleaded 88.”

At the station I went to, I didn’t find any warning stickers on the pump that it’s 15% ethanol — quite the opposite. There was a sticker on the pump stating that the fuel being dispensed may include up to 10% ethanol.

The EPA used to require a sticker on pumps to warn consumers when they were putting E15 in their car. I haven’t been able to verify if they still do.

The EPA published a proposed rule change in 2021 to eliminate warning stickers for E15, but it’s unclear whether they implemented that or not. The for-more-information number attached to the proposal is answered by a machine, which says the mailbox is full and can’t accept messages.

Kelly’s press release claims “current estimates indicate that, on average, E15 is about 25 cents a gallon cheaper than E10.”

It’s not, at least not at Casey’s. This week, E10 regular was $3.09, E15 was $2.99.

Another gas station chain that sells higher-alcohol blended fuel in the Wichita area is Jump Start.

Jump Start stations have four grades of fuel: regular E10, a midgrade with 20% ethanol and Super Premium — labeled “Best Value” — with a whopping 30% ethanol content. The stations also sell E85, which is up to 83% ethanol.

The pumps are labeled with stickers warning that the E85, midgrade and Super Premium blends should only be used in special “Flex-Fuel” vehicles, which are specifically engineered to handle high-ethanol fuels.

But every time I’ve ever been there, I’ve seen people blithely pumping the Super Premium — which is 10 cents cheaper than the regular E10 — into ordinary cars.

Would I gamble on damaging my engine and voiding a warranty to save a dime a gallon? No thanks.

I’ve replaced plenty of fuel pumps and emissions components, and none of those jobs were what I’d call an enjoyable afternoon.

One time, I had to change out a fuel pump in the parking lot at The Eagle so I could get home.

While I was doing it, then-District Attorney Nola Foulston called with information on a court case I was covering, so I wound up interviewing her from flat on my back underneath the car.

Photographer Jaime Green snapped a picture and my co-workers found it hilarious.

I don’t expect politicians to know much about auto maintenance. And I fully understand that they’ve got the EPA, farm lobbyists, ethanol manufacturers and biofuels enthusiasts tugging at their sleeves, telling them E15 is all good and urging full-speed ahead.

But somebody in their circle of advisors should be aware of the risks of expanded E-15 use. At the very least, there needs to be disclosure at the pumps and consumer education that isn’t happening now.

The best advice I can give is to check your car’s owner’s manual — buried somewhere in it you’ll find a list of recommended fuels; in mine, it was on Page 370.

If the manual says that E15 (or Unleaded 88) is approved for your car, go for it. If it doesn’t, don’t.

Just don’t expect politicians to tell you that.