U.S. Legislative Updates

Representative James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) has asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reconsider the waiver granted to allow gasoline blends of up to 15 percent ethanol (E15) in cars and trucks of model year 2001 and later.  In his letter, Mr. Sensenbrenner publicly released the responses from several auto manufacturers regarding the consequences of E15 on vehicle engines, fuel economy, and warranties.  "Automaker responses overwhelmingly show that E15 will damage engines, void warranties, and reduce fuel efficiency," Sensenbrenner said. " Americans need a fuel that will give them more miles out of a gallon of gas and extend the lives of their cars—not one that will prematurely send their vehicles to the junkyard."  

Below are highlights from several of the manufacturers:

Chrysler:  "We are not confident that our vehicles will not be damaged from the use of E15 -- The warranty information provided to our customers specifically notes that use of the blends beyond E10 will void the warranty."

Ford:  "Ford does not support the introduction of E15 into the marketplace for the legacy fleet -- Fuel not approved in the owner's manual is considered misfueling and any damage resulting from misfueling is not covered by the warranty."

Honda:  "Vehicle engines were not designed or built to accommodate the higher concentrations of ethanol -- There appears to be the potential for engine failure."

Mazda:  "The record fails to demonstrate that motor vehicles would not be damaged and result in failures when run on E15."
 
Toyota:  "Toyota cannot recommend the use of fuel with greater than E10 for Toyota vehicles currently on the road -- Our policy remains that we will not provide warranty coverage for issues arising from the misuse of fuels that exceed specified limits."

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has called for the production of one billion gallons of biomass-based diesel as part of its 2012 national renewable fuel standard, up from 800 million gallons last year.  The proposed standard also calls for two billion gallons in advanced biofuels and 3.45 million to 12.9 million gallons of cellulosic biofuels.  Overall, the proposal calls for an overall total of 15.2 billion gallons of renewable fuels, up from 13.95 billion gallons in 2011.


Legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Senate to end U.S. oil imports by 2030 through increased domestic production, increased use of electric vehicles, development of alternative transportation fuels, and reducing the use of heating oil. The Oil Independence for a Stronger America Act of 2011, introduced by Senators Tom Carper (D-DE), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tom Udall (D-NM), and Michael Bennett (D-CO), would, if enacted, reduce U.S. oil consumption by more than eight million barrels per day by 2030.