Is bioethanol fuel safe for your car?

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Story Published: Jun 23, 2008 at 9:51 PM PST

By Elissa Harrington

EUGENE, Ore. - It's not exactly cheap, but $3.49 for gas nowadays isn't bad. In fact, that's almost a dollar less than the state's average of $4.29 a gallon.

SeQuential Biofuel in southeast Eugene specializes in biofuels. It's a product that station manager Alan Twigg says is good for the environment and lately, good for the pocketbook.

"Ever since we opened, the 85 has been cheaper," he says, "and everyone has seemed interested in it."

But who can actually fill up? Twigg says anyone with a "flex fuel" car. These include many American cars such as Fords, Chevys and Dodge Caravans.

"A lot of people have a flex fuel vehicle don't even know it," says Twigg. "To find out, you just need to open the fuel door and it will say something like 'E 85 or gas' or 'ethanol of unleaded fuel.' "

Meanwhile, workers at Elmira Automotive say 85 ethanol is notorious for getting less miles to the gallon. That's where this E 85 kit comes in. It works to keep mileage down by slowing the burn rate.

And if that's not your cup of tea, Jesse Wayne shows another option: a "Hydro-assist fuel cell." It's created from water and adds extra hydrogen into the gas mixture for better performance and better gas mileage.

So just how much an increase are we talking about? "We're seeing 60 miles a gallon on a Honda Civic," Wayne said.

So while you can't fix gas prices, there are always ways to research alternatives. And for those guys capitalizing off ways to save, there's even something to smile about.

"It's kind of a joke that I have, but whenever gas prices go up, I smile," Wayne said.

Both the E 85 kit and hydro-assist fuel cell run for around $1,100.

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