· 189 comments · Save ·
General Mar 25, 2026 at 8:31 PM

EPA approves sale of higher ethanol fuel to try to lower gas prices

Posted by AudibleNod

https://abcnews.com/Business/wireStory/epa-approves-sale-higher-ethanol-fuel-lower-gas-131409757
🚩 Report this post

189 Comments

Sign in to comment — or just click the box below.
🔒 Your email is never shown publicly.
Just_Another_Dad Mar 25, 2026 +1819
And will directly lower your fuel economy. It’s a money-grab.
1819
AdjNounNumbers Mar 25, 2026 +560
But it's cheaper *per gallon*. So what if you use more of your as a result? People are stupid and will only look at the numbers on the sign
560
ExpertExpert Mar 25, 2026 +275
we live in a one step thought society "lower number on sign = good" dow >50,000 nothing else matters
275
AdjNounNumbers Mar 25, 2026 +179
Quarter pounder bigger than third pounder
179
Awkward_Bison_267 Mar 25, 2026 +45
I hate that they got rid of third pounders for that reason.
45
SecretPeoplesClub Mar 26, 2026 +19
I want the 7/16 pounders they had in Germany in the late 90’s Edit: should have specified it was in New Germany, Minnesota
19
Awkward_Bison_267 Mar 26, 2026 +11
I’d probably want a nap after that.
11
Caucasian_Thunder Mar 26, 2026 +5
Now introducing, the fifth pound burger
5
ExpertExpert Mar 26, 2026 +10
they will switch to metric soon to reset. something like "the competition gives you 1/4th of a pound... but we give you 60 entire grams!"
10
JebusKristoph Mar 26, 2026 +2
Ironically the big Mac uses 2 patties that are 1/10th of a lb
2
Caucasian_Thunder Mar 26, 2026 +4
Whoa, that’s two 10s? I can’t do the math off the top of my head, but that’s way bigger than 4
4
Bigred2989- Mar 26, 2026 +3
But steel is heavier than feathers.
3
MythoclastMotorcycle Mar 26, 2026 +7
I understood that reference
7
shanastonecrest Mar 26, 2026 +3
I mean according to pam bondi epstein and all of his victims dont matter because the dow is >50,000.
3
Unlucky_Success2984 Mar 26, 2026 +3
The Dow was 50k for one week. Then Pam bondi had to Barbara Streisand it and it immediately went down the money after.
3
PutinBoomedMe Mar 25, 2026 +13
That's some Shaq logic there!
13
NoMoreAtPresent Mar 25, 2026 +22
Gas is only $1 per 1/4 gallon. Fill it up man
22
Leading-Loss-986 Mar 26, 2026 +12
Maybe this is how we get Americans to accept the Metric system. $/liter is a lot lower than $/gallon!
12
Tibbaryllis2 Mar 26, 2026 +4
You’ve got to be careful with this one because the Mt. Dew crowd can understand a liter and a 2-liter is less than a gallon.
4
dgcamero Mar 26, 2026 +7
As long as temperature, as it relates to weather and climate control, remains expressed in Fahrenheit, I wish we could switch to metric. (The human comfort temperature range and scale are better suited to °F than the °C range and scale.)
7
gonewild9676 Mar 26, 2026 +2
They did pricing per liter in the late 70s but shockingly the rounded up the price.
2
Saneless Mar 26, 2026 +12
And it is more corrosive. But when has this administration cared about long term pains for Americans?
12
JBoOz Mar 26, 2026 +5
It’s funny that when gas rose in my area during the Biden administration I used to see those stupid “I did that” stickers everywhere. With prices doubling during this admin I haven’t seen any of those things anywhere for Trump
5
bobsmithhome Mar 26, 2026 +10
Yeah, I'm never buying that c*** gas. Newer cars these days have enough engine issues caused by CAFE standards without further f****** up an engine with garbage fuel, all to bail out the f****** farmers and to help with Trump's stupid war. I grew up on a farm. My Dad was an FDR Democrat. Even though he was a farmer himself, he didn't like farmers generally. He hung out with blue collar union guys and (strangely enough) physicians and other white collar folks. My Mom loved everyone. She hung with multimillionaires, poor families, and everyone in between. We were at a baseball game once, and there was a small group of really rough and sketchy looking bikers there, surrounded by open space. She sat with them for awhile, and then came back to us. Every time one of those dudes would go to the concession stand, they'd holler over, "Mary, can we get you anything?".
10
mightylordredbeard Mar 26, 2026 +3
It’s the SHEIN effect. “So what if the clothes fall apart after a couple of washes.. it’s cheaper!”
3
StitchinThroughTime Mar 26, 2026 +3
Not everyone is that stupid. I've already seen a few videos of people claiming they get worse gas mileage in the past 2 to 3 weeks. Also it's a habitual thing that people go to the gas station, because our schedules are relatively set. So I fully expect more people will notice that they have to stop more often to get gas. As well as higher ethanol is not exactly great for motors, I've already heard some mechanics complain for older vehicles not behaving well on ethanol. I can't wait to see what would happen to a modern car with all the electronics and sensors to figure out how to handle higher ethanol gasoline
3
Ludwigofthepotatoppl Mar 26, 2026 +10
And so what if it sucks water thru your fuel system’s gaskets and fucks up your engine unless you’ve got a flexfuel car? I guarantee we’re going to be hearing more stories of people putting e85 in their regular cars.
10
thevoidhearsyou Mar 26, 2026 +2
The issue is the majority of people only look at what is effecting them right now not what will affect them later. It's a headache that every doctor and financial advisors see.
2
tivnan1989 Mar 25, 2026 +131
It’s not just lower fuel economy either. I was reading an article a month or so ago about how farmers had such a surplus of corn so to bail them out there’s a chance they do this Engine Damage and Corrosion: Ethanol is hygroscopic (absorbs moisture), leading to water in the fuel system, which causes corrosion, rust, and damage to rubber hoses and plastic components in engines not designed for it.
131
JoeSavinaBotero Mar 25, 2026 +88
What's absurd is that (last time I checked) the ethanol is required to come from corn. Why? It's *ethanol.* It's basically a corn subsidy from the bush administration.
88
yloduck1 Mar 25, 2026 +70
Dude. You’ve correctly identified it as a corn subsidy, but this subsidy originated back in the 1970s.
70
JoeSavinaBotero Mar 26, 2026 +17
Oh is that right? There were Bush-era corn ethanol subsidies. I don't doubt there were some from the 70s, too, but Bush also added some to use more ethanol to replace MTBE. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna16792220
17
booniebrew Mar 26, 2026 +18
Nixon subsidized corn to get farmer support for his reelection. The overproduction led to high fructose corn syrup ending up in so much of our food.
18
lurkinsheep Mar 26, 2026 +3
Wow something finally trickled down! Thank you GOP!
3
stainless5 Mar 26, 2026 +16
You know the dumb thing. growing corn to make fuel is basically just slow solar power it's much cheaper turn the corn subsidy into a solar subsidy and pay Farmers to put solar panels on their land. 
16
Not_Another_Name Mar 26, 2026 +12
Slow solar power but with massive water and nutrient consumption to go with it
12
rick_C132 Mar 26, 2026 +10
Don’t forget all the diesel to power the tractors, it’s a net loss
10
BlueShrub Mar 26, 2026 +7
Farmer here. Tilling, crushing stubble, fertilizer (made from natural gas), planting, potash application (mined and shipped in), weed control (pesticides), irrigation, harvest, drying (usually more natural gas), storage, shipping, processing, shipping again, blending... All for one harvest a year, with far, _far_ less efficent land use than solar, and _especially_ wind power. You can see how the fossil fuel firms just salivate at having ethanol as a "replacement" as one big PR circlejerk.
7
Rebelgecko Mar 26, 2026 +5
Making ethanol is super inefficient too. If you took the land used for growing ethanol for cars and installed solar panels+battery it'd be enough to power the entire US
5
Yuukiko_ Mar 25, 2026 +8
what kind of timeframe are we talking about here?
8
tivnan1989 Mar 25, 2026 +11
You mean for there to be serious damage to an engine?
11
Yuukiko_ Mar 25, 2026 +6
was thinking more about time to absorb enough water to cause damage vs using it up but yes. Also fuel tanks not exactly being open to air
6
tivnan1989 Mar 25, 2026 +6
I’m not a mechanic or anything and my knowledge of this stems from the article I read and the little research I did after haha but from what I read it causes the most problems in humid environments. The difference with high ethanol and regular gas is what happens with the moisture Water Attraction (Hygroscopic): Ethanol absorbs moisture from the air. In fuel tanks, this can lead to "phase separation," where the water-alcohol mix separates from the gasoline, sinking to the bottom and causing engine damage or failure. So I assume the small amounts of water that accumulate with regular gas is so small that the engine can handle it but with high ethanol when it separates is when the problem is created The ethanol also erodes rubber and other parts in an engine which can also cause other problems. Some cars like the “flex fuel” cars are designed to work on higher ethanol fuel but for most cars that’s just not how they’re designed
6
gus_thedog Mar 26, 2026 +14
The water absorption stuff is pretty overblown for modern, fuel injected vehicles though. Their fuel systems remain under constant pressure, so it's pretty hard for atmospheric moisture to get in. It's definitely an issue with carbureted motors though (lawnmowers for example) because those fuel systems aren't sealed. I'd also say that any vehicle built within the last 15-20 years should be using ethanol-tolerant rubber components. The main issue with running too high of an ethanol concentration in a vehicle not designed for it is that it can cause the motor to run lean, which can lead to mechanical damage over time. Basically, the computer (ECU) is tuned to expect a certain fuel to air ratio that gasoline provides. It can typically compensate up to around 15% concentration, but since ethanol has less energy density, it's starts to throw off the calculations as the concentrations incease beyond there. This will usually trigger a check engine light at best. Flex Fuel vehicles are able to run at all concentrations of ethanol, all the way up to straight E85, because they have ethanol sensors installed that communicate with the ECU and allow it to adjust the calculations for fueling based on what fuel is in the car. Without that sensor and tuning, the computer is blind to what's going on with the fuel, assuming it's just normal gas, and concluding there is an issue when something is outside of the normal parameters.
14
tivnan1989 Mar 26, 2026 +2
So would you say it’s okay for a short amount of time but potential for damage with extended use with most modern cars?
2
gus_thedog Mar 26, 2026 +3
I'd say that long term use of concentrations higher than E15 in a non-flex fuel vehicle is problematic since the ECU can't properly compensate. Short term should be ok, especially if driven with care, but you can likely expect a check engine light and possibly diminished performance. Again, that's for anything beyond the E15 (aka Unleaded 88) that's already currently sold at the pumps. For flex fuel vehicles, there are other potential issues with long term, high concentration use. Mainly varnish/deposit build ups in the fuel system and oil dilution. Those are generally resolved with shorter maintenance intervals though, especially oil change intervals.
3
Captain_Mazhar Mar 26, 2026 +3
Depends on what blend. A splash and dash with E15 would probably be fine, but filling up E85 in a standard vehicle would mess it up real quick.
3
0xsergy Mar 26, 2026 +2
Longer than 15-20. My car is nearly 30 years old and has only seen 10% ethanol fuel for at least 15 years now(not much ethanol free available in my area without going to a track to buy from them). Never messed with the fuel system, it all just works. I'd say that anything past the 80s should be fine on 10%.
2
spkos Mar 26, 2026 +5
A lot of fear mongering here. Most relatively modern engines will handle e15 without a single problem. Hell I ran e85 on my stock fueling system in a golf R for years without issues. Engines absolutely love e85 for performance. E15 using going to impact anything.
5
jpiro Mar 26, 2026 +6
Car engines, it’s fine. Small engines, it’s bad. Stuff is terrible for lawnmowers, blowers, string trimmers, chainsaws, etc. As soon as mine die for good, I’m going electric for that reason. Then again, I’m in Florida, so certainly high humidity environment.
6
lunaticfridgeprime Mar 25, 2026 +17
Also requires an absurd amount of energy input to produce said ethanol. 
17
KingRBPII Mar 26, 2026 +2
Burning out soil health
2
Bigred2989- Mar 26, 2026 +2
Found out about this when I was given a loaner car that could take E85. I barely used the car for a week and went though most of the tank.
2
VadersSprinkledTits Mar 26, 2026 +3
And higher amounts of ethanol are the same as adding water to gas. Older vehicles can have fuel systems damage by way of rust, and yeah, less efficiency. Good thing the general public is stupid and will just say “dagum cheeper gas he’s fixed it!”
3
nosajh9 Mar 25, 2026 +708
f*** it, throw some water in there too
708
conman228 Mar 25, 2026 +217
Can’t data centers called dibs
217
Tuesday_6PM Mar 25, 2026 +59
Put the ethanol in the data centers!
59
VeryNoisyLizard Mar 25, 2026 +32
and check for leaks with a matchstick!
32
SubzeroAK Mar 25, 2026 +3
You must know my plumber buddy.
3
2gutter67 Mar 25, 2026 +13
Yooo you might be cookin with that one
13
techman2692 Mar 25, 2026 +4
...now we're cooking with fire! 😎🔥
4
MadRaymer Mar 25, 2026 +27
The bigger problem is this won't actually lower gas prices much (if at all). Ethanol is produced from corn in what's essentially a giveaway to the big agribusinesses. Those agribusinesses still need diesel for their tractors, harvesters, irrigation pumps, etc. Not to mention processing and transporting the ethanol. It's not *quite* a perpetual motion machine here (as I think studies have shown a net gain) but almost. Ethanol is one of the least efficient biofuels. Great economic windfall for the corn growers, though, so there's that.
27
koalasarentferfuckin Mar 25, 2026 +6
I put sugar in mine for that sweet crude
6
smurfsundermybed Mar 25, 2026 +5
If you use Splenda, you'll get sweet light crude.
5
no_one_likes_u Mar 25, 2026 +5
Don't \*engine\* knock it until you try it
5
run-on_sentience Mar 25, 2026 +5
Apparently some gas stations have already been doing that. I know prices are fucked, people, but get your gas from reliable sources.
5
the_Q_spice Mar 25, 2026 +7
Not the same as that, but an interesting thing that’s gaining some traction is WiDE, or Water in Diesel Emulsion which was proven feasible earlier just this month. It has some pretty massive benefits because the water cools the engine from inside the cylinders, but also causes soot and NOx to decrease emissions by 60-70%. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260313002630.htm
7
theonlyfatbuckel Mar 25, 2026 +867
Ethanol can ruin engines.
867
zoranss7512 Mar 25, 2026 +398
And you get worse mileage. So you're filling up more often. What's the point? Playing with people.
398
imoftendisgruntled Mar 25, 2026 +181
Creates more market for corn, increases profits for oil companies, car companies and mechanics, its win-win-win. You’ll get sick of all the winning.
181
BolshevikPower Mar 25, 2026 +44
Except now fertilizer prices are increasing and so is diesel for heavy trucks.
44
imoftendisgruntled Mar 25, 2026 +30
Yes it’s almost like an ill-advised Middle East adventure that every administration since Carter avoided getting into might end up having far-reaching destabilizing effects.
30
BlueShrub Mar 26, 2026 +5
Renewables are the only way out of this, maybe a bit of nuclear as well but boy oh boy is that another expensive adventure as well.
5
euph_22 Mar 25, 2026 +125
Say, isn't there famously a lot of ethanol production plants owned by right wing billionaires?
125
123qweasd123 Mar 25, 2026 +61
Remind me Which states do we pay farmers to grown corn in
61
KitchenBomber Mar 25, 2026 +2
And it takes more energy to produce it than you get back so this will actually raise fuel costs.
2
The_High_Life Mar 25, 2026 +3
Duh, and we pay them a premium to grow this shit corn too
3
SomeSchmidt Mar 25, 2026 +60
Would kind of be funny if that contributed to the adoption of electric cars
60
Rot-Orkan Mar 25, 2026 +69
Would be nice. A solar farm is actually more energy efficient than using that same land to grow corn for the sake of making ethanol.
69
FearMeIAmRoot Mar 25, 2026 +18
Shoutout Alec.
18
Lifesagame81 Mar 25, 2026 +12
Burning coal for electricity for your ev is more efficient than using gas to power your ice engine. 
12
AndrewCoja Mar 25, 2026 +3
Yeah but uhh the turbines use oil and something about diesel and cement, uhhh what did Billy Bob say... Exxon doesn't like it
3
Polymira Mar 25, 2026 +3
it's the reason I adopted electric lawn mower and string trimmer when I did.
3
Ionic_Pancakes Mar 25, 2026 +16
"Sounds like a problem for the poors!"
16
Turbulent-Jaguar-909 Mar 25, 2026 +41
Ethanol WILL destroy your small engines. 
41
passthenukecodes Mar 26, 2026 +11
When? Ive had my cub cadet push mower for 10 years. I want to go electric but i cant until this one dies. The worst part is it still starts on the second pull after sitting for the winter without draining the gas or any maintenance.
11
one_is_enough Mar 26, 2026 +4
It’s mostly stuff like rubber hoses and primer bulbs and seals that will be destroyed by ethanol. I think most small engines (and car engines) made after about 2000 use ethanol-resistant parts. But it definitely killed off all my 90s small engines before I learned this. Or at least made me replace those parts.
4
GetsBetterAfterAFew Mar 25, 2026 +18
Great for people who make and sell cars, parts and services.
18
Actual__Wizard Mar 25, 2026 +26
E15 is known to cause engine damage, so, you must add an additive for many engines. People do not know that and tons of people are going to end up with engine damage, especially small engines. So, they're "just playing games with the gas prices and they're actually going to cause a ton of damage."
26
the_Q_spice Mar 25, 2026 +32
Every car post 2001 model year is designed to run E15 (aka Unleaded 88) without an issue. Regular 87 here in the states is already E10. Unless you only buy Premium gas (which can cause issues for normally-aspirated vehicles due to the higher octane resulting in significant quantities of unburned fuel, which can wreck your exhaust), you are running at very least 5-10% ethanol already, and likely have been for at least the past 20 years. E85 is a *very* different story though, and you need specialized gaskets, fuel lines, and injectors to run it without damaging your fuel system. You need a specialized engine tune as well, but other than that, your engine will run it just fine. The main issue is that E85 corrodes plastics super fast.
32
spkos Mar 26, 2026 +4
I ran e85 on my stock fueling system in a golf R for years without issues. Engines absolutely love e85 for performance. E85 is hardly as corrosive as you think it is.
4
parker2020 Mar 25, 2026 +12
It has killed my 93’s gas lines
12
Aggravating-Salad441 Mar 25, 2026 +17
That's not really true. The EPA has done studies showing cars can safely use much higher ethanol blends than have ever been legally approved. Many Midwestern states (where most ethanol is produced) use E15 blends. E15 can be safely used in cars manufactured in 2001 or later. But it can damage motorcycle, boat, and other small engines. All gasoline in the United States contains at least 10% ethanol, which is used as an oxygenate. It has replaced much more toxic oxygenates that used to pollute ground water. The real discussion should be that the federal government has resisted renewables and ethanol, until they need to salvage their own poor decisions.
17
uraniumsalad Mar 25, 2026 +16
Non-oxygenated ethanol free gasoline is widely available in some states. Other states mandate that non-oxygenated gas be used in recreational, off road or collector vehicles only, and there is a decal placed on the pump noting this. In South Dakota for example, even regular unleaded 87 octane is sold at some stations without ethanol. Personally I use ONLY ethanol free fuel in anything with a carburetor. In any modern passenger vehicle that sees regular use up to E15 is not a concern in my opinion, aside from slightly lower fuel mileage.
16
Aggravating-Salad441 Mar 25, 2026 +4
Good point, I stand corrected. My problem with living in a city! Lol
4
liathus Mar 25, 2026 +8
People talking nonsense, I just bought ethanol free gasoline today in North Dakota. It’s a few cents more per gallon but small engines hate ethanol.
8
Aggravating-Salad441 Mar 25, 2026 +3
No worries, someone else corrected me with the same information! It does make sense that there's ethanol free fuel available. The average gasoline sold in the United States is E11, so it's most of the gasoline sold, not "all" as in my original comment.
3
brancky3 Mar 26, 2026 +2
Damn, here in SC non ethanol gas is more expensive than premium.
2
dawtips Mar 26, 2026 +1
It ruins the fuel sensor on my motorcycle. Very common problem
1
AudibleNod Mar 25, 2026 +731
>The sale of E15 is typically discontinued in the summer because it can contribute to harmful air pollution. The Trump administration is now literally throwing gasoline on the fire it created. Your grandkids will not thank you.
731
Miserable-Ticket-244 Mar 25, 2026 +148
They are now allowing PFAS to be sprayed directly on our gd crops/food so really not surprised here. I give it a year before they massively deregulate the amount of pollution data centers can dump in the rivers.
148
SMF67 Mar 26, 2026 +6
Do you have a source for this?
6
FlaccidArrow Mar 26, 2026 +28
https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/issues/6927/forever-chemicals/pfas-in-pesticides#
28
albatrossSKY Mar 25, 2026 +194
Lower the price at the pump by a few cents but decrease the fuel efficiency so you actually pay more per mile. The corn lobby wins and the average person gets screwed while thinking they got a deal.
194
Small-Palpitation310 Mar 26, 2026 +3
Yeah this is vile.
3
Ancient-Bat1755 Mar 26, 2026 +2
Yet the corn lobby is anti-saf to use their farms for making jet fuel efficiently. It is asinine.
2
Fun-Shake7094 Mar 25, 2026 +132
Good way to funnel corn subsidies to red states
132
AudibleNod Mar 25, 2026 +28
[I can feel the August corn sweat now.](https://www.npr.org/2024/09/03/nx-s1-5094251/corn-sweat-is-real-and-its-made-extreme-heat-in-the-midwest-even-more-uncomfortable)
28
Complete_Entry Mar 25, 2026 +89
I thought ethanol never really worked out and was mostly a costly failure? Like they rolled the tech, it made things horrible, they shrugged and said developments were down the line. Then it never happened.
89
nsa_k Mar 25, 2026 +82
It works great if you grow corn or own a car dealership. But for the consumer, the environment, and your car it's way worse than just regular gasoline.
82
MasemJ Mar 25, 2026 +39
Ethanol is the replacement for MTBE (itself the replacement for lead) aimed to help make emissions from burning gas cleaner (as it carries oxygen to help fully combust carbon products). But it contributes little to fuel efficiency on an mpg basis. Separately there are high ethanol blends like e85 which work but do require engine tuning to get timing right. And while cheaper still has the lower mpg issue. Pure ethanol would only be practical into a fuel cell car, breaking down ethanol to hydrogen in situ, but there's been no movement there due to high costs of fuel cell materials.
39
malac0da13 Mar 26, 2026 +3
High ethanol fuels like e85 or e90 are almost as good as really high octane race fuels though. It’s almost impossible for it to knock so you can get real aggressive with timing and create a good amount of power out of it. It does take like ~20% more fuel though than traditional gas. My sub compact 4 cylinder turbo would go from 25mpg to about 20mpg while driving pretty heavy footed.
3
byerss Mar 25, 2026 +31
E10 has been the standard for a while now.  In the US we produce 16 billion gallons of fuel ethanol from corn annually. Accounting for up to 45% of all corn farmland in the US, which is roughly the size of New York State. 
31
Tuesday_6PM Mar 25, 2026 +33
“It’s the standard” isn’t mutually exclusive with “it’s costly and bad”. We mostly use ethanol as a subsidy to farm lobbyists, because god forbid we didn’t produce endless corn that isn’t fit for human consumption
33
byerss Mar 25, 2026 +11
The original premise was that fuel ethanol never took off and the idea was abandoned, but it’s very much a thing.  Yes It’s costly and dumb, but that didn’t stop it from happening. 
11
SMF67 Mar 26, 2026 +7
It's crazy to think about how an amount of land the size of New York state is stripped of all its native flora and fauna, sterilizing it of any wildlife, prairie grasses for flood control, trees for birds, and wildflowers for bees, all while depleting an unthinkably large quantity of water reserves and contaminating it with fertilizer... just so we can prop up an industry.
7
EasyAsAyeBeeSea Mar 25, 2026 +6
After the corn is used to produce ethanol the leftover portion is still a high quality animal feed
6
[deleted] Mar 25, 2026 +25
[removed]
25
TheFapp3ning Mar 25, 2026 +8
Love it in my Mustang GT.
8
zoranss7512 Mar 25, 2026 +13
Horrible if you're chasing mileage.
13
leeta0028 Mar 25, 2026 +4
A tiny bit of ethanol in an engine designed for it is fine, it helps keep the engine clean. It's not a solution for decarbonizing transportation though. 
4
DevilsPumpkinPiety Mar 25, 2026 +17
And if the pandemic inflation taught us anything it’s that the price will still go up and the difference will be pocketed.
17
coolon23 Mar 25, 2026 +67
continuous garbage from this admin my goodness
67
ericmm76 Mar 25, 2026 +7
It's a little late to expect them to change. Every government agency is broken until this a****** is gone. And everyone he appointed is replaced.
7
zxrax Mar 26, 2026 +2
until he's gone seems optimistic. I'm expecting several more years, if not a solid decade, to undo the damage and make these organizations fully functional again.
2
Jonas_VentureJr Mar 26, 2026 +11
It’s going to drop your MPG around 30% , in turn buying more gas. It also uses more energy to produce than regular fuel?
11
Korietsu Mar 25, 2026 +23
Yeah, this is a waste of money and puts more wear and tear on your car. The amount you save per gallon is eaten up by the same loss in efficency from ethanol going up.
23
Beldizar Mar 26, 2026 +3
But doesn't the corn take more diesel to produce on the farm than it can water down in a car? So it isn't just less efficiency for your individual car, but as a nation, we would enter a vicious spiral of spending more fuel to grow less fuel.
3
Peligineyes Mar 25, 2026 +12
"let's adulterate the flour with sawdust, that should satisfy those peasants"
12
ElChupatigre Mar 26, 2026 +2
[Gotta keep it below 5%](https://youtu.be/MTC_ETWa3JA?si=rBd9yi-3i3Lkohtr)
2
Tatters Mar 25, 2026 +35
Ethanol is so pointless. It takes farming equipment and semi's burning diesel to even get the corn produced and transported to the ethanol plant site. Then the ethanol is 66% energy per unit compared to gasoline. An additional subtraction from all the f'n diesel used to make it. Last I checked, diesel prices have gone up too, therefore the cost of the entire ethanol production process will go up as well. I mean, what are we doing.
35
AudibleNod Mar 25, 2026 +32
A government report concluded [switchgrass has a greater yield of ethanol per acre than corn](https://news.mongabay.com/2008/01/switchgrass-a-better-biofuel-source-than-corn/). Also it uses less water. But it's a weed that doesn't have any IP attached to it, so.....
32
Eldritch_Chemistry Mar 25, 2026 +8
~~monsanto~~ Bayer Crop Science no likey
8
vs-1680 Mar 26, 2026 +6
Please don't destroy your engine with this stuff. Be VERY careful
6
kenc1842 Mar 26, 2026 +6
Great. Gas will be cheaper but our vehicles will start breaking down.
6
brillow Mar 26, 2026 +5
I remember when ethanol in fuel was an Obama plot to ruin America
5
720everyday Mar 25, 2026 +21
Ruining our bank accounts and now our car engines. What a disgrace.
21
400footceiling Mar 25, 2026 +13
Terrible idea! Growing food for cars is maybe the stupidest thing humans have ever done.
13
tracerhaha Mar 25, 2026 +3
How many engines is this going to destroy?
3
CivilJeff Mar 26, 2026 +5
Congrats, this is perhaps the dumbest headline of the day... a harder and harder honor to earn.
5
sternica Mar 26, 2026 +4
So I should send my Mechanics bills to the EPA after this garbage ruins my car?
4
Longjumping_Hawk_951 Mar 26, 2026 +5
Great so our car engines will get fucked more
5
Dr_Porknbeef Mar 26, 2026 +4
Here's a fun fact: the fertilizer used on corn is made from ammonia derived from natural gas, of which 20% is now trapped in the Persian Gulf,which leads to higher fertilizer costs, which leads to higher corn costs, etc... And if the fertilizer isn't applied at the beginning of the growing season, corn does not achieve the target yields. It's a goat rope.
4
malac0da13 Mar 26, 2026 +3
My car specifically says in the manual that anything over 10% will void my warranty. I looked it up when I was going to use unleaded 88 which is 15%.
3
gradi3nt Mar 25, 2026 +9
You can get a lightly used EV for $20k! Never been a better time to upgrade!
9
throwawayurwaste Mar 26, 2026 +4
You can get a 2019 Chevy Bolt which got a new battery in the recall in 2023 for 10k. 250mi range, and 3-5 mi/kwh
4
edgarecayce Mar 26, 2026 +8
Ethanol is a giant grift
8
jimtow28 Mar 25, 2026 +3
If they would just slow the testing down, soon you'll be down to almost no gas prices.
3
MidLifeCrysis75 Mar 25, 2026 +3
Great. Save money by putting shitty fuel in your car. F****** genius.
3
AcanthisittaNo6653 Mar 25, 2026 +3
They are trying to get our cars drunk so they won't notice the c**** blend.
3
DogsAreOurFriends Mar 25, 2026 +3
And then the cost of food skyrockets. Good thing it is the right time of year to plant gardens.
3
YBHunted Mar 26, 2026 +3
Its a republican led EPA which means f*** all and of course this is a regarded ass idea.
3
vasion123 Mar 26, 2026 +3
I like water in my fuel system, doesn't do any harm whatsoever
3
BlitzNeko Mar 26, 2026 +3
Making the farming and food crisis, even worse by increasing the demand for corn and prices!
3
FitConsideration4961 Mar 26, 2026 +3
Please read your owner’s manual. While most modern cars are supposed to accept up to E15, the owner’s manual will tell you for sure what kind of fuel it can accept.
3
beer_bukkake Mar 26, 2026 +3
Shrinkflation. Less gas for the same price
3
Dobermanpure Mar 25, 2026 +10
Oh look! More welfare for farmers, the biggest welfare queens!
10
CanWeJustTalkAboutIt Mar 26, 2026 +6
I love my electric car.
6
BobBelcher2021 Mar 26, 2026 +5
That could also lead to higher food prices. Ethanol comes from food.
5
RoyHamshack Mar 25, 2026 +10
He’s gonna bring back leaded-gas
10
parker2020 Mar 25, 2026 +5
The kids yearn for it… and the private prisons since leaded gas was shown to increase violence in people
5
[deleted] Mar 25, 2026 +4
[deleted]
4
jspurlin03 Mar 25, 2026 +2
Don’t worry about the water; that’ll end up in the fuel _for free_.
2
spkos Mar 26, 2026 +2
A lot of fear mongering here. Most relatively modern engines will handle e15 without a single problem. Hell I ran e85 on my stock fueling system in a golf R for years without issues. Engines absolutely love e85 for performance. E15 isn’t going to impact anything.
2
kwyjibo1 Mar 26, 2026 +5
Isn't ethanol hard on your fuel lines and the seals in your engine?
5
j0nquest Mar 26, 2026 +3
Yes, it's not good for engines. Especially those that are not frequently run where it sets for longer.
3
Trebeaux Mar 26, 2026 +2
Check your owners manual. Most “modern” vehicles are designed to take up to E15 (my 2019 Ford has been running E10 and E15 for 6 years now). *DO NOT* exceed this if your vehicle is not specifically “Flex Fuel” though. Very bad things happen if the system isn’t designed for it.
2
Eddie_Bernays Mar 25, 2026 +2
The warranty on my car is voided if I use anything more than E10.
2
Nythoren Mar 25, 2026 +2
Instead, let’s put those ethanol subsidies towards EV tax rebates. Much bigger impact on fuel consumption per dollar spent that way.
2
Snagmesomeweaves Mar 25, 2026 +2
Honestly, how many of you have larger, inefficient vehicles with large gas tanks vs smaller, efficient vehicles with smaller tanks. My civic is averaging 35 mpg lifetime as a non hybrid. 1 gallon tank and I’m not dying at the pump because I get two tanks a month, essentially 20 gallons. I see a lot of $20 on the pumps or people putting in 30 gallons at a time.
2
stackofwits Mar 26, 2026 +2
I work in transportation air quality and every day it gets harder to stay in this job
2
whydontyousuckmyball Mar 26, 2026 +2
So higher food prices because now corn will be going to ethanol fuel. Lower mpg because ethanol has less btu’s than gasoline. And older vehicles will have a hard time handling the increased ethanol im fuels. Fun stuff.
2
SNsilver Mar 26, 2026 +2
A quick Google search tells me this is a usual thing and is probably the “summer blend” we get around this time of year.. just saw the same headline from the last several years
2
Hairbear2176 Mar 26, 2026 +2
Welfare Queens, err Farmers subsidies about to go BRRRRRR
2
tenkaranarchy Mar 26, 2026 +2
It won't make a lick of difference if farmers cant afford tarrifs and petroleum byproduct based fertilizers are still expensive if not completely unavailable.
2
minuteman_d Mar 26, 2026 +2
Won’t this mess up gas station labels? I swear they all have ratings? Maybe that’s just octane rating and they can push as much ethanol content as they wish?
2
Mijbr090490 Mar 25, 2026 +2
Biden did this when gas peaked in 2022. Then again in 2023 and 2024. It's a good bit cheaper in my area, but you get lower fuel mileage and it can't be run in every vehicle. Kinda negates any benefits from it being cheaper.
2
SoftlySpokenPromises Mar 25, 2026 +5
So more engine wear and pollution at the time where everything has become more expensive and temps are climing. Time to see if smog starts to change people's minds when they want to have their vacations.
5
VeryNoisyLizard Mar 25, 2026 +3
oh, fuel injectors are gonna love this
3
KaputtEqu1pment Mar 25, 2026 +3
Ever wonder why ethanol free gas costs 10% more than the gasoline blended with 10% ethanol that gets 10% worse gas mileage? Wild people are falling for this c***.
3
the_eluder Mar 26, 2026 +3
I use e15 in my hybrid and it doesn't affect mpg at all. Even if it did decrease it by 5%, it's 20% cheaper.
3
Viking999 Mar 25, 2026 +1
Meh, not E15 in modern engines.  If you're using something small or premium, you should already know to not be using regular E10 today.
1
Arizona_Pete Mar 25, 2026 +1
Gonna blow up some engines in addition to blowing up the gulf.
1
Kevincarb82 Mar 25, 2026 +1
The war in Iran is the best advertisement for EVs....
1
Enlightened_D Mar 25, 2026 +1
EPA director is my old congressman \*CRYS\*
1
Shibotu Mar 25, 2026 +1
They're approving fuel that causes more air pollution and is more carbon intensive. Not exactly protecting the environment.
1
Jazzlike-Yogurt-5984 Mar 25, 2026 +1
Everything is all vanity with these people
1
jspurlin03 Mar 25, 2026 +1
The hygrospcopic nature of ethanol means this will be bad for a lot of engines. Plus, consuming a food crop in a non-energy-efficient way means more this has higher overall costs.
1
Drak_is_Right Mar 25, 2026 +1
Far more efficient to use solar than ethanol.
1
← Back to Board