U.S consumers are ill prepared for the introduction of higher ethanol fuel blends, says a new online survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI).
OPEI is the international trade association representing 100 small engine, utility vehicle and outdoor power equipment manufacturers and suppliers.
The vast majority of Americans (71 percent) are “not at all sure” if it is illegal or legal to put high level ethanol gas (i.e., anything higher than 10 percent ethanol) into engines such as those in boats, mowers, chain saws, snow mobiles, generators and other engine products.
Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of Americans say they assume that any gas sold at the gas station is safe for all of their cars, as well as boats, mowers, chain saws, snow mobiles, generators and other engine products.
For Americans who drive up to the fuel pump, price is overwhelmingly the number one thing they notice (91 percent). Whether the pump accepts credit cards (64 percent) and the octane rating (55 percent) come in second and third place.
Only a quarter (25 percent) of these Americans notices the ethanol content while 71 percent of Americans say they use the least expensive grade of gasoline whenever possible.
EPA has approved the introduction of some mid-level ethanol blends (E15, E30, E85) for use in a small, subset of automobiles in an effort to comply with the federal renewable fuel mandate.
However the problem is that these higher ethanol fuel blends may be dispensed alongside current fuels, but they are illegal and risky to use in hundreds of millions of small engine products and applications.
This includes small engine products, such as mowers, garden tractors, chain saws, boats, snow throwers, trimmers, UTVs, power washers, blowers, chippers, grinders, generators, jaws of life, concrete saws and other compact construction equipment, as well as small engine applications such as water pumps and irrigation systems.
The data shows that consumers are unprepared for the rollout of higher ethanol blended fuels at today’s gas stations and the potential for mis-fueling is high, according to Kris Kiser, president and CEO of OPEI.