Meijer to offer E85 fuel in Detroit
Louisville stores not part of push
By Robert Schoenberger
rschoenberger@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
Midwestern retailer Meijer said it will start selling E85 ethanol at 20 stores near Detroit over the next several months. The company has no plans to sell the motor fuel at its six Louisville-area stores.
"It's been talked about, but we haven't gotten there yet," Meijer spokeswoman Judith Clark said. Meijer has four stores in Louisville and two in Southern Indiana.
E85 is 85 percent ethanol, an alcohol usually derived from corn, and 15 percent gasoline. It provides slightly more horsepower than gasoline with slightly lower fuel economy. The price is usually close to gasoline prices.
"With gas prices going up, we thought that E85 might not rise as quickly," Clark said.
In Michigan, Meijer is working with CleanFUEL USA, a Texas ethanol company to identify the locations.
General Motors is also working with the retailer to promote the fuel's use and to choose stations.
Clark said no Meijer stores in Louisville have pushed for the fuel, and no ethanol companies have offered to supply area outlets. If either of those conditions changes, she said Meijer could add E85 pumps.
Cecil's Service Center on Eighth Street in downtown is Louisville's only E85 station, according to www.e85fuel.com, an ethanol producers' Web site. Minnesota and Illinois are the only states with large numbers of ethanol stations.
The Web site also lists vehicles that can use E85. Ethanol is more corrosive than gasoline and can damage rubber engine seals and gaskets on vehicles.
Reporter Robert Schoenberger can be reached at (502) 582-4669.
