The Ohio fleet of E-85 cars is being tested by government and private business. They will enter mainstream commercial channels in 1996-97. They will operate with unleaded gasoline or any mixture of gasoline and ethanol up to an 85 percent concentration. A key component in all ethanol vehicles to date is a sensor which determines the percentage of ethanol in the fuel, optimizes performance and adjusts emission control devices. Fueling the Economy Ethanol is a home-grown fuel that can help us become independent from imported oil and help our balance of trade.
Ethanol is made from corn, a renewable resource, and a crop grown in abundance in Ohio.
The U.S. produces about 1.5 billion gallons of ethanol annually. Farmers benefit because ethanol production provides consistent demand for surplus corn and improves corn prices. The general economy benefits because the industry creates more than 19,000 jobs nationally in ethanol production and related industry and services. Each bushel of corn can produce 2.5 gallons of ethanol fuel. Only the starch from the corn is used to make ethanol, leaving the protein and valuable co-products for other uses.