More carmakers give green light to use ethanol-blended fuels, new data suggests

The number of car manufacturers approving the use of E15, a fuel blend of 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline, for their vehicles, continues to grow, according to an analysis by the Renewables Fuels Association (RFA).

RFA estimates that E15 was unequivocally identified by car manufacturers as an approved fuel for slightly more than 60% of model year (MY) 2015 vehicles sold, equating to some 10.7m automobiles.

This number is expected to grow in 2016, as strong sales are expected to continue and more than 70% of MY 2016 vehicles carry the manufacturers' explicit endorsement of E15.

Recent analysis by RFA showed that car brands such as Fiat Chrylser, General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Lexus, Audi, Volkswagen, Jaguar and Land Rover all clearly identify E15 as an approved fuel for MY2016 vehicles.

The news comes as Autodata, a US-based car market research firm, announced that 17.47mvehicles were sold in the US last year.

According to the RFA, a majority of these vehicles are approved for E15 use.

"With each passing day, the number of automakers approving the use of E15 vehicles on US roadways continues to grow," said Bob Dinneen, RFA's president and CEO .

He added: "As we begin 2016 three important trends are worth noting: first, vehicle sales show no signs of slowing down; second, an even larger percentage of new cars, pickups, and SUVs are explicitly approved by their manufacturer for E15; and third, the oldest vehicles in the fleet— model years 2000 and older not EPA-approved for E15 use —are being scrapped at an accelerated rate.

"This means that someday in the not-so-distant future, nearly every car, truck, or SUV in the country will be unambiguously approved by the auto manufacturer for E15 and we can put to rest the false notion that carmakers don't allow the use of E15."

While car manufacturers only began identifying E15 as an approved fuel for new vehicles following registration of E15 as a legal fuel in 2010, the US EPA has approved the use of E15 in all vehicles built since 2001.

This means more than 85% of the vehicles on the road today are legally approved to use E15.

According to Autodata, the 17.47m vehicles sold in 2015 just edged the previous record of 17.35m sold in 2000.