How To Get Into Cars: E85 Fuel

If you’ve spent any time around the modified car scene in the last few years, you’ve probably heard about E85. Maybe you’ve even noticed a sweet smell emanating from the pitlane, or heard people cracking jokes about “corn juice.”


The blended fuel, which combines alcohol and traditional gasoline, can have significant performance benefits if used properly. Today, we’ll explore what those are, and how you can set your ride up to run on E85.



Pros and Cons


E85 is, nominally at least, a blend of 85% ethanol with 15% gasoline. In some countries, this is adhered to fairly religiously. However, in the United States, E85 that you get at the pump can be anywhere from 51% ethanol to 83%, with lower blends typically being delivered in cooler areas and during winter. This is due to the poorer cold start performance of ethanol-based fuels. However, if you’re buying drums of race-grade E85, you’re likely getting something much closer to that nominal ratio.


E85 is readily available from select gas stations in the United States. The ethanol content is typically produced from corn, hence regularly being referred to as “corn juice” or “corn sauce” at racetracks across the nation. Credit: Mariordo, CC-BY-3.0

The main benefits of E85 fuel are simple and straightforward. Ethanol has a far higher octane rating than regular gasoline. Where the standard stuff comes in around 87, and premium pump gas gets up to 93, E85 fuel has an octane rating closer to 103-105 octane as per the (R+M)/2 measurement used in the USA.


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