In comments to the California Air Resources Board in response to a late June workshop on potential amendments to the state’s Advanced Clean Cars II regulations, the Renewable Fuels Association urged CARB to require that all new vehicles with internal combustion engines sold within the state be flex-fuel capable, to achieve California’s carbon emissions goals.
“With the substantial portion of legacy vehicles that will still be on the road after 2035 when new ZEV [zero-emission vehicle] requirements take full effect, and with the twenty percent allowance for PHEVs [plug-in hybrid electric vehicles] under those rules, it is critical to maximize greenhouse gas reductions in both the legacy fleet and new PHEVs sold after 2035,” wrote RFA Chief Economist Scott Richman.
Citing new independent research, Richman said that expanding and sustaining the benefits of E85 utilization in California through a flex fuel requirement represents a unique opportunity for maximizing greenhouse gas benefits while lowering costs to the consumer under the state’s Advanced Clean Cars program. Click here for the June 2024 study, Future Scenarios for E85 in the U.S.
Additionally, based on E85prices.com data, E85 in California sold for an average discount of $1.81 per gallon compared to regular gasoline in 2023. As a result, RFA estimates that California consumers saved $94 million in 2023 by utilizing E85, adjusted for fuel economy. Moreover, if all the 1.3 million flex fuel vehicles (FFVs) on the road in California today were running on E85, greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by 2.7 million metric tons per year.
“Since our January comments, the availability of E85 has continued to increase, with an estimated 500 retail fueling stations now offering E85 according to discussions with E85 fuel retailers,” Richman wrote. “For this growth to continue, it is important for the market to be confident of future E85 demand growth potential; a FFV requirement will provide that market signal.”
