Automakers criticize EPA E30 proposal which puts responsiblity for E30 availability on them

[Bill USA]

http://www.governorsbiofuelscoalition.org/?p=5827

EPA’s “Tier III” fuel and vehicle emissions rule opens the door to raising gasoline’s octane level — a rating of a fuel’s performance — to promote better-performing cleaner fuels and engines, [font size="+1"]but automakers and biofuel advocates are criticizing the agency for proposing that the onus be on automakers to ensure the fuels are available given refiner resistance.[/font]

Automakers have long sought higher octane levels in regular fuel, which currently averages an 87 rating, because they do not want to mandate that consumers purchase higher octane mid-grade at 89 or premium at 92 that are far more expensive. But they say they need even higher octane levels to ensure that technologies, such as direct fuel injection and turbocharge operate properly, boosting efficiency and reducing emissions, making it easier for automakers to comply with EPA’s greenhouse gas (GHG) tailpipe rule that requires fleets to average 54.5 miles per gallon in 2025.

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If ethanol is used as an octane booster, then a 30 percent ethanol blend (E30) should cost less than a gallon of regular gasoline today and have an average octane rating of about 97, biofuels advocates say.

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[font size="3"]...the agency says that if it were to approve a test fuel for vehicles designed to run on this fuel, then manufacturers must ensure its availability. EPA in the Tier III rule says,[/font][font size="+1"] “Under this proposal, if manufacturers were to design vehicles that required operation on a higher octane, higher ethanol content gasoline (e.g. dedicated E30 vehicles or [flexible-fueled vehicles (FFV)] optimized to run on E30 or higher ethanol blends), . . . they could petition the administrator for approval of a higher octane, higher ethanol test fuel if they could demonstrate that such a fuel would be used by the operator and would be readily available nationwide.”[/font]
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[font size="4"] Looks like the EPA is afraid to take on the Big Oil. [/font]