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Ethanol is a fuel that comes from the fermentation of sugars that is generated from some materials such as corn and sugar cane , as stated by the United States Department of Energy . Since its creation, it has had multiple uses in many contexts, but in the automotive industry, it has become popular as one of the first ecological fuels, registering a consumption that already exceeds 14. 5 billion gallons per year, thanks to its capacity of reduce pollutant emissions by up to 85% .
Ethanol can be used as fuel in its pure state, but it is also usually found mixed with gasoline in different proportions, such as E 10, E 15 and the E 85 , which are mixtures of gasoline with this compound in a certain percentage represented by the number that appears in its name. Although these numbers are very close to the octane rating, which is the value that represents the antiknock capacity of ordinary gasoline, these values are only related with the amount of ethanol that a certain mixture contains and should not be confused with each other .
The E 08 is a mixture widely used in the country and approved by all car brands for a long time . It can be considered as common gasoline since a large amount of it is distributed daily. The E 15 was approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2011 and, unlike the regular gasoline containing 10% ethanol, reduces fuel efficiency by a maximum of 5%.
Secondly, the E 85 is a mix that can contain from 80% a 83% of this compound . It is much cleaner than the previous options, but reduces the fuel efficiency of a 15% yet 27%., generating a higher expense in the long term, despite being cheaper than pure gasoline.
Unlike E 14 and the E 10, the E 85 can only be used by flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) and its availability is limited , compared to other mixes. However, it is considered the perfect option to reduce polluting emissions and, in addition, offers great advantages to vehicles that can use it, making its performance much better.
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