BALTIMORE – Flex-fuel vehicle drivers in the Baltimore area finally have a place to fill up with E85, thanks to a new fueling location opening in the city.
Three Brothers/A1 Auto Repair partnered with Protec Fuel, which provides turnkey ethanol programs for retailers, to install the offer at 3041 Fredrick Ave. The Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board (MGPUB), and the Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., Clean Cities Coalitions, supported the installation.
Unlike most E85 fueling sites, which are located at gas stations, this one is at an auto-repair shop, and the first for its owner, Paul Goeller. In addition to E85, Three Brothers/A1 sells regular and premium gasoline, and kerosene.
"I noticed all the flex-fuel vehicles coming through and was surprised there was nowhere to fuel with E85 in Baltimore," said Goeller. "As a mechanic, I wanted to give a choice that not only is better for the environment and our country, but has certain engine benefits such as higher octane, performance and a cleaner engine."
Flex-fuel vehicles (FFV) can run on regular gasoline and up to 85% ethanol blends, or E85. There are approximately 100 FFV models available, with more than 16.5 million on the road. However, consumer research has shown that some FFV drivers are not even aware their vehicle can use the fuel.
Protec Fuel, Boca Raton, Fla., oversaw installation of the E85 dispenser and is supplying the biofuel. The Three Bros./A1 E85 fueling site is open six days a week, Monday through Friday, from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
MGPUB has supported the development of E85 fueling infrastructure in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia. "We invest in projects that support U.S. jobs and protect our environment, and the opening of this station well fits that mission," said Paul Spies, president of the MGPUB, Edgewater, Md. "Ethanol is farm-grown and renewable, and today's answer for replacing petroleum-based fuels from volatile foreign markets. As our domestic alternative fuel industry grows, we expect to provide even greater benefits for U.S. consumers, the environment and our farmers."
"We are excited that Three Brothers has brought E85 to Baltimore," said Abigail Ross Hopper, director of the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA), which includes the Maryland Clean Cities Coalition. "The location will help to develop an E85 fuel infrastructure for Baltimore's flex-fuel vehicles. It is our hope that this type of investment will serve as a model to other stations as we move closer to our statewide goals through clean, affordable and reliable technologies."
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