SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- As part of an ongoing retailer-focused campaign called Flex Fuel Forward, the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) has debuted www.FlexFuelForward.com, a new website for gasoline and fuel marketers who have questions about E15, E85 and other flex-fuel blends, the use of which can be controversial.
E15 is a combination of 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the fuel in January 2011 for use in vehicles built after 2001; however, some retailers have been slow to embrace it. The debate over the fuel blend continues, and many fuel and automotive industry experts believe that despite EPA approvals, E15 still has the potential to damage engines and confuse consumers.
Meanwhile, prominent retailers such as Sheetz, Kum & Go and Murphy USA, among others, are selling or have announced that they will be selling E15 and other higher-ethanol blends.
“When convenience store owners consider a new product, the information they trust most comes from people like them--other retailers who have already done what they’re thinking about doing,” said Sioux Falls, S.D.-based ACE’s senior vice president, Ron Lamberty. “Fuel marketers thinking about new fuels want to hear from another retailer that adding those choices increased gallons and led to better customer counts and higher profits--and that’s what we’re hearing from retailers who added E15 and flex fuels. Unfortunately, most station owners don’t know anyone who sells E15 or flex fuels."
The centerpiece of the website is a short documentary about three retailers who added E15 and flex fuels to their product mix "and their rewards have been higher volume, more customers, better margins and higher profits," according to Lamberty.
FlexFuelForward.com provides additional fuel marketer-focused information to help station owners decide whether they want to add E15 or flex fuels, including links to pro-ethanol fuel, equipment and government websites that have more detailed information.
“This site is aimed at capturing the attention and answering the main questions of marketers who have not responded to the ethanol industry’s other campaigns,” said Lamberty. “We want to address the top concerns that are keeping station owners from considering E15 or flex fuels, and from there, point them to the people or information they need to get another E15 or flex-fuel location built.”
He continued, “We can’t bring experienced E15 and flex-fuel marketers with us to every trade show or retailer workshop ACE attends. So we’ve done the next best thing--we’ve brought their stories to a place where they will be available 24/7, for marketers who live and work in the 24/7 convenience-store world.”
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