QuikTrip spokesperson Mike Thornbrugh said the company worries about confusion at the gasoline dispenser. "Even though you have the proper signage, if somebody inadvertently put in the wrong product and it could cause damage to the vehicle, QuikTrip has great concerns about that," he told the news outlet.
The U.S. Environmental [image-nocss] Protection Agency (EPA) approved a waiver allowing the use of E15 for model-year 2007 and newer cars and light trucks on October 13, 2010. Last week, it waived a limitation on selling gasoline that contains more than 10% ethanol for model-year 2001 through 2006 passenger vehicles, including cars, SUVs and light pickup trucks. (Click here for previous CSP Daily News coverage.)
The retailer's gasoline is "unconditionally guaranteed." On its website, QuikTrip says: "If you ever have a gasoline-related problem, QuikTrip will solve the problem. That doesn't mean we'll give you your money back and wish you luck. It means we will solve the problemto your satisfaction. We could only offer this type of guarantee if we were sure our gasoline is of the highest quality."
Executives of QuikTrip, which operates approximately 570 locations in 10 states, do not believe that they can stand behind the fuel without a lot more testing to make sure it is going to work in vehicles and in the chain's fuel dispensers, said a report by KOTV.
Most gas stations in Tulsa sell the E10 blend of up to 10% ethanol. But no one is selling E15 so far, said the report.
"Most retailers have to make a decision first if they want to sell it. It's not available to us yet," Ross Ledbetter, owner of Reeder's Texaco told the newspaper.
Reeder's Texaco sells both pure gasoline and E10. Ledbetter said his customers definitely want a choice between the lower price of E10 and the higher performance of full-strength fuel.
AAA Oklahoma has not taken a position on adding more ethanol to gasoline, but it wants to make sure drivers know what they are buying. AAA Oklahoma spokesperson Danial Karnes, told the news outlet, "We want people to know what it is they're putting in their vehicle."
After E10 became more commonly available a few years ago, stations added labels to the pumps. AAA wants to make sure that E15 pumps are obvious.
And in Illinois, don't look for any of the state's 4,500 gas stations to offer E15 anytime soon either, added a report by The Peoria Journal Star.
"My guess is that it's several years away. We're not against it, but we won't do it until we can do it right," David Sykuta, executive director of the Illinois Petroleum Council, told the newspaper.
"The [latest EPA] decision greenlights the use of E15 for nearly two out of every three cars on the road today and further proves ethanol is a safe, effective fuel choice for American drivers," Bob Dinneen, president of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), told the paper.
Sykuta called the EPA's E15 pronouncement "more about politics than reality."
"Right now, there are no standards for pumping E15. Until there are standards, you won't see this," he said, noting that groups such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and the American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM) often take years to establish fueling standards.
"You're talking about two or three different kinds of fuel dispensed at every gas station based on the age of the car. That's not going to work," said Sykuta, noting that station operators are concerned about possible misfueling problems.
Ethanol supporters are optimistic the EPA ruling will lead to expanded use of the alcohol fuel. "You could see some retailers offering E15 later this summer or fall once the regulatory hurdles that accompany any new fuel introduction are cleared," Matt Harwig, communications director for the RFA, told the paper.
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